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BANCROFT 
LIBRARY 

<> 

THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


MAJOR  L.  R.  D.  FAYLING, 
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF  CITY  FORCES  BEFORE  GENL.  SCURRY'S  ARRIVAL. 


GALVESTON: 

THE    HORRORS  OF   A  STRICKEN  GITY 


PORTRAYING  BY  PEN  AND  PICTURE  THE  AWFUL  CALAM- 
ITY   THAT  BEFELL  THE    QUEEN   CITY   ON  THE 
GULF  AND  THE  TERRIBLE  SCENES  THAT 
FOLLOWED  THE  DISASTER. 


INCLUDING  THE  COMING  OF  THE  STORM,  ITS  FORCE  AND  HAVOC,  PEOPLE  KILLED  AND  PROPERTY 

DESTROYED,  HEROISM  OF  THE  RESCUERS,  STORIES  OF  THE  SURVIVORS,  THE  RIFLE  THE  FATE 

OF  THE  GHOULS,  STORMS  SCIENTIFICALLY  CONSIDERED,  THB  TRACK  OF  THE  STORM, 

WORLD'S  SYMPATHY  AND  AID,   STORIES  OF  OTHER  STORMS,  CATASTROPHES 

THAT  ARE  MEMORABLE,  CITIES  THAT  HAVE  BEEN  WRECKED,  STORY 

OF  THE  CITY  ON  THE  GULF,  HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  THE 

STATE,  LESSON  OF  THE  STORM,  AND  THE  FUTURE 

OF  GALVESTON. 


BY  MURAT  HALSTEAD, 

AUTHOR  AND  JOURNALIST. 


SPLENDIDLY  ILLUSTRATED  WITH  VIEWS  OP  THE  CITY'  BEFORE, 
DURING,  AND  AFTER  THE  DISASTER. 


C 

AMERICAN    PUBLISHERS'    ASSOCIATION, 
PUBLISHERS 


r  Ha 


COPYRIGHT,  1900, 

BY 

H.  L.  BARBER, 


-a.  o  0/3 


AUTHOR'S    PREFACE. 


Texas  is  the  giant  of  the  States ;  Galveston,  the  most  im- 
portant of  her  sea-ports.  It  has  been  pleasantly  said  of 
Texas,  with  a  great  deal  of  truth  in  the  compliment,  that 
the  State  is  the  France  of  America.  Partially  this  com- 
parison is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  has  been 
aptly  called  the  American  Mediterranean.  The  port  of 
France  that  corresponds  in  rank  in  that  country  to  Galves- 
ton, Texas,  is  Marseilles.  The  tides  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico 
and  in  the  Mediterranean  Sea  rise  about  to  the  same  height, 
a  few  inches  more  or  less  than  two  feet.  There  is  this  very 
marked  difference  between  the  low  flat  shore  of  Texas  and 
that  of  France,  that  for  nearly  fifty  miles  into  the  country 
from  the  Gulf  Texas  is  remarkably  level,  while  the  coast 
and  the  Southern  Provinces  of  France  are  rugged.  The 
effect  of  the  Alps,  the  Appenines  and  the  Pyrennes  and 
the  Jura  mountains  upon  the  French  climate  is  quite  de- 
cided. Southern  France  has  the  advantage  of  the  soft 
airs  of  the  Mediterranean  and  the  sunny  slopes  that  lead 
up  to  the  Alps.  The  Mediterranean  is  not  visited  by  the 
terrible  tempests  that  are  characteristic  of  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico.  The  sea  is  rough,  and  there  are  prevailing  winds 
in  France  that  are  severe,  but  that  country  does  not  seem 
to  be  in  the  path  of  tornadoes  or  hurricanes  or  the  better 
known  class  of  storms  that  we  call  cyclones.  The  width  of 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico  from  north  to  south  is  not  far  from 


ii  AUTHOR'S  PREFACE. 

that  of  the  Mediterranean,  and  a  superficial  supposition 
would  be  that  the  excessive  heats  of  Africa  and  the  prox- 
imity of  the  Sahara  Desert  would  be  productive  of  violent 
winds  gaining  strength,  increasing  the  sea  on  the  way  to 
Europe.  It  is  possible  that  the  southern  mountains  of  the 
continent  and  of  the  islands  of  the  Mediterranean  guard 
the  countries  west  of  Italy  from  the  destructive  storms 
that  are  frequent  and  famous  in  North  America. 

The  coast  of  Asia  and  the  Sea  of  China,  all  the  south- 
western islands  of  the  Pacific — the  orient  of  Europe  but 
our  Occident — including  the  Philippines  and  the  Indian 
Ocean,  are  subject  to  typhoons  that  bear  a  close  resem- 
blance to  the  hurricanes,  as  the  whirling  storms  are  ha- 
bitually called  in  the  West  Indies.  Many  remarkable 
escapes  have  been  made  by  the  ships  of  our  Asiatic  fleet 
and  the  transports  that  have  carried  our  troops  across  the 
Pacific  to  the  Philippines  from  the  terrors  of  the  typhoons, 
so  that  the  storms  that  rage  in  our  far  west  have  in  some 
degree  lost  their  frightful  reputation.  It  is,  however,  well 
known  that  the  typhoon  is  formidable  as  our  cyclone  and 
not  infrequently  takes  a  direction  parallel  to  the  coast  of 
Asia,  and  changes  the  course  eastward  across  the  Pacific, 
after  the  manner  of  the  West  India  storm-winds  on  the 
Atlantic.  The  terrific  tempest  at  Samoa,  where  several 
ships  of  war  were  wrecked,  while  Germany,  England  and 
ourselves  were  jointly  interested  in  that  group  of  islands, 
is  familiar. 

The  great  gales  traveling  from  the  East  and  the  West 
Indies  usually  occur  about  the  equinoxial  times,  the  months 
especially  distinguished  in  both  oceans  September  and 
October.  It  is  a  matter  of  interest  touching  which  there 
has  often  been  conjecture  and  suggestions  of  special  Di- 


AUTHOR'S  PREFACE.  iii 

vine  Providence  that  though  Columbus  arrived  in  the  West 
Indies  in  his  frail  little  ships  in  the  month  of  October, 
right  in  the  hurricane  season,  and  in  the  very  region  where 
they  are  most  destructive,  as  for  example  the  recent  tre- 
mendously disastrous  storm  that  swept  over  Porto  Rico 
before  reaching  that  island,  careering  across  the  waters 
where  Columbus  sailed  on  his  first  voyage,  the  great  dis- 
coverer having  placid  weather,  so  that  his  letters  about  the 
beautiful  waters  and  the  shores  that  were  so  peaceful  read 
like  poems.  But  when  he  set  out  to  return  to  Spain  he 
encountered  terrible  tempests  and  nearly  despaired  of 
riding  them  out,  wrote  some  account  of  what  he  had 
found  and  put  it  in  a  cake  of  beeswax  enclosed  in  a  keg 
to  be  committed  as  a  forlorn  hope  of  carrying  the  news  to 
Europe  of  the  discovery  of  America,  if  he  should  be  lost 
on  the  voyage. 

The  history  of  Texas  is  one  of  great  interest,  full  of 
dramatic  situations,  often  of  a  startling  character.  During 
the  early  days  of  the  knowledge  of  Texas  by  Europeans 
it  was  a  contested  land  between  the  Spaniards  from  Cuba 
and  Mexico  and  the  French  from  Canada.  On  both  sides 
they  seem  to  have  made  long  voyages  in  order  to  interfere 
with  each  other,  but  the  romantic  stories — authentic  his- 
tory, too — of  their  rivalries  and  stratagems  and  combats 
point  to  the  fighting  temper  of  the  nations,  and  two  hun- 
dred years  elapsed  before  it  was  settled  to  what  nation 
the  northern  shore  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  belonged.  In- 
deed, there  was  a  shifting  of  land  titles  between  France 
and  Spain  that  never  was  quite  settled  until  Napoleon  sold 
the  French  territory  to  Thomas  Jefferson.  There  was  a 
strong  and  well  grounded  claim  that  Texas  should  have 
been  included  in  the  Jefferson  purchase,  and  the  United 


iv  'AUTHOR'S  PREFACE. 

States  had  been  the  proprietors  of  the  mouth  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi Kiver  only  nine  years  when  England  undertook  to 
possess,  along  with  the  mouth  of  the  river,  the  city  of  New 
Orleans,  and  to  make  a  commanding  position  of  it,  but 
conspicuously  failed. 

The  history  of  Texas  since  it  became  to  a  considerable 
degree  settled  by  Americans,  who  finally  rebelled  against 
Mexico  and  made  good  their  rebellion  by  sanguinary  vic- 
tories, is  full  of  wars  and  rumors  of  wars.  The  Mexi- 
cans were  enabled  to  reinforce  from  the  tribes  of  war-like 
Indians  numerous  and  adventurous  on  the  headwaters  of 
the  Texan  Rivers.  The  most  formidable  tribe  was  the 
Comanches.  The  Indian  troubles  in  Texas  lasted  longer 
and  were  more  serious  than  in  the  case  of  any  other  State. 
After  the  annexation  of  Texas  the  great  field  of  operations 
of  the  army  of  the  United  States  was  Texas.  The  wars 
with  the  Indians  were  severe  and  protracted  struggles, 
so  that  there  was  ample  occupation  for  our  crack  regiments 
to  a  great  extent  in  defending  the  settlers  who  pushed  for- 
ward with  extraordinary  hardihood  and  warred  with  the 
Comanches  and  their  allies. 

The  history  of  the  war  of  the  States  as  it  involved  Texas 
is  one  of  strange  vicissitudes.  The  Texans  generally  gain- 
ing advantages  and  the  Trans-Mississippi  department  was 
the  last  to  become  pacificated  after  Appomattox.  The 
growth  of  Texas  since  the  war  in  population  and  develop- 
ment of  natural  resources  has  been  phenomenal.  The 
rapidity  of  the  growth  of  the  city  of  Galveston  in  popu- 
lation and  in  commerce  has  been  very  striking,  and  rated 
by  percentages  not  surpassed  by  many  cities  in  the  world. 
Once  there  was  a  great  deal  said  of  the  character  of  the 
people  of  Texas,  implying  that  they  were  most  hardy  and 


AUTHOR'S  PREFACE.  v 

daring,  and  claimed  an  extraordinary  share  of  belligerent 
rights  and  an  unusual  range  of  personal  libertv  *.-  carry 
on  war  on  personal  account.  It  is  only  fair  to  say  that 
these  characteristics  never  were  peculiar  to  any  State  or 
section  of  the  United  States,  and  that  the  general  result 
has  been  that  Texas  is,  in  the  larger  sense  of  the  word, 
Americanized,  and  is  typically  American  with  south- 
western specialties,  because  the  enormous  increase  of  the 
population  of  the  State  has  been  drawn  from  all  of  the 
States  in  the  Union,  with  the  possible  exception  of  those 
of  the  extreme  northwest. 

After  the  Revolutionary  war  the  first  State  to  receive 
the  immigration  of  those  who  were  seeking  homes  in  new 
lands  was  Ohio,  and  that  State  can  sustain  the  boast  that 
she  has  the  blood  of  all  the  original  thirteen  States.  After 
the  great  war  of  the  States  and  the  sections  there  were 
two  streams  of  emigration  from  the  north  and  south  west- 
ward— many  northern  people  moving  south,  largely  into 
Texas,  many  southern  people  going  to  the  Missouri  river 
regions.  The  Trans-Mississippi  railroads  divided  and  dif- 
fused these  massive  movements  of  humanity,  and  Texas 
more  than  any  other  State  has  had  the  good  fortune  of 
receiving  immigrants  from  all  the  States  east  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi. So  extensive  was  this,  that  the  increase  of  Texas 
carried  the  center  of  population  for  one  decennial  period 
across  the  Ohio  river  into  Kentucky  after  it  had  been  in 
Ohio  for  a  generation.  It  is  now  in  Indiana,  only  a  few 
miles  north  of  where  it  rested  in  Kentucky,  moving  slowly 
westward  almost  in  a  direct  line,  according  to  the  census 
of  ten  years  ago,  but  this  center  may  soon  reach  and  long 
stay  in  Southern  Illinois,  and  when  it  crosses  the  Missis- 
sippi Texas  will  be  populous  as  ITew  York.  This  move- 


vi  AUTHOR'S  PREFACE. 

i 

ment  of  the  center  of  population  testifies  to  the  attraction 
of  the  immensity  of  Texas  in  territory  to  the  current 
of  humanity  that  flows  to  her  continually,  and  so  exten- 
sively that  it  was  the  belief  of  the  Texans  for  a  time  they 
would  surpass  New  York  at  the  present  census.  Disap- 
pointed in  that,  they  will  not  abandon  their  great  expec- 
tations, for  the  State  is  so  vast  and  so  rich  that  it  will 
sustain  a  population  equal  to  that  of  France  or  Germany. 
The  dire  calamity  that  has  befallen  the  principal  seaport 
of  the  State  will  have  but  a  transitory  influence  in  divert- 
ing her  commerce.  Galveston  would  not  have  existed  if  it 
had  not  been  necessary  for  the  State  to  have  a  seaport,  and 
the  spot  chosen  was  the  most  eligible,  though  the  prodi- 
gious forces  of  the  Gulf  tempests  in  destructive  energy 
were  underrated.  The  city  has  been  overwhelmed  and 
wrecked  by  the  sea.  It  is  an  astounding  and  will  be  a 
memorable  disaster,  one  of  the  catastrophes  that  find  a 
permanent  place  in  history,  ranking  among  the  most 
desolating  and  most  destructive  of  the  misfortunes  of 
mankind.  The  city  will  rise  from  the  waves  of  the  Amer- 
ican Mediterranean  as  Chicago  arose  from  the  ashes  of  her 
burning,  and  her  resurrection  will  be  one  of  the  marvels 
illustrating  the  abounding  capacity  and  the  quenchless 
courage  of  the  American  people.  Galveston  will  be,  and 
deserves  to  be,  as  Chicago  was,  debtor  to  the  world  for  the 
splendid  generosity  that  moves  mankind  with  the  spirit  of 
the  progressing  and  ever  still  higher  advance  that  marks 
the  age.  We  shall  see,  as  Byron  saw  when  he  stood  on  the 
Bridge  of  Sighs  in  Venice — 

"I  saw  from  out  the  wave  vast  structures  rise? 
Aa  with  the  stroke  of  wi  enchanter's  wand," 


AUTHOR'S  PREFACE.  vii 

and  we  may  add  that  when  "a  thousand  years  their  cloudy 
wings  expand"  the  scene  will  not  be  one  of  dying  glories, 
but  of  substantial  splendors,  built  to  stay  and  exceed  the 
earlier  achievements.  Galveston  will  remember  the  hurri- 
cane as  Lisbon  recollects  the  earthquake  and  Chicago  the 
fire.  MUKAT  HALSTEAD. 

Chicago,  Sept.  13, 1900. 


CONTENTS. 

Author's  Preface. 

CHAPTER   I. 

The  City  of  Galveston. 

CHAPTER   II. 
The  Gales  of  the  Gulf. 

CHAPTER   III. 
The  Storm  in  the  Stricken  City. 

CHAPTER   IV. 
The  Dreadful  Burden  of  the  Dead. 

CHAPTER   V. 
Scenes  and  Incidents  in  the  Time  of  Terror. 

CHAPTER   VL 
The  Carnivals  of  Crime  When  Cities  are  Destroyed. 

CHAPTER   VII. 

The  Terrible  Need  of  the  Survivors. 
CHAPTER   VIII. 
Incidents  of  the  Great  Terror. 

CHAPTER    IX. 
The  Awful  Magnitude  of  the  Misfortune. 

CHAPTER   X. 
The  Chicago  Fire  and  the  Galveston  Flood. 

CHAPTER    XI. 

The  Most  Grewsome  Picture  in  the  Book  of  Time. 

viii 


CONTENTS.  ix 

CHAPTEK    XII. 

Incidents  that  Make  Up  the  History  of  Horrors. 

CHAPTER    XIII. 
The  Galveston  Account  of  the  Ruin  Beyond  Description. 

CHAPTER   XIY. 

The  First  Steps  of  Reconstruction. 

CHAPTER   XV. 

The  New  Galveston. 

CHAPTER   XVI. 

Prehistoric  Graveyard  ISTear  Galveston. 

CHAPTER   XVII. 

The  Giant  of  the  States. 

CHAPTER    XVIII. 
The  Battle  That  Determined  the  Destiny  of  Texas. 

CHAPTER    XIX. 
The  Seven  Flags  of  Texas. 

CHAPTER    XX. 

Tempests  That  Are  Historical. 

CHAPTER    XXL 

The  Great  Storm  in  England. 

CHAPTER    XXII. 

The  Tragedy  of  the  Alamo. 

CHAPTER   XXIII. 
Disasters  That  Are  Memorable. 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


1.  Lighthouse,  Galveston  Harbor. 

2.  Texas  City  Dredge  Ashore  1J  Miles  from  Water. 

3.  Masonic  Building  Standing.    The  Adjoining  Build- 

ing Was  Completely  Wrecked. 

4.  The  Jetty  Further  Out  in  the  Gulf.     The  Building 

in  the  Distance  Is  the  U.  S.  Life-Saving  Station. 

5.  First  Duty  of   Stricken  Galveston — Conscripting 

Men  to  Bury  the  Dead. 

6.  Original  Site  of  the  City  of  Galveston. 
T.     Galveston  Devastated.     Tremont  Street. 

8.  Wreck  of  a  Building  Occupied  by  Marx  &  Blum, 

Wholesale  Shoe  and  Hat  House. 

9.  View  of  Avenue  O,  Looking  North  Toward  City. 

10.  Crawford  Street  Inundated  and  Blocked  with  Poles. 

11.  Effect  of  Storm  on  Buildings — Wreck  of  Ursuline 

Convent. 

12.  Ruins  of  Grain  Elevator. 

13.  Presbyterian  Church. 

14.  Sealy  Hospital,  Galveston. 

15.  Effect  of  Storm  on  Buildings — Wreck  of  Church. 

16.  G.  C.  &  S.  F.  E.  R.  General  Offices,  Galveston. 

17.  Wrecked  Street  Railway  Power  House. 

18.  Elevator,  Galveston. 

19.  Effect   of   Storm  on   Shipping  —  British   Steamer 

Aground  in  Front  of  Wrecked  Wharf. 

20.  Electric  Light  Power  House — Twenty-Five  Buried 

Here  in  Ruins. 

21.  Galveston  Beach  Hotel. 

22.  View  of  the  Docks  During  Cotton  Season.     These 

Tramp  Steamers  Carry  Between  Seven  and  Ten 
Thousand  Bales  of  Cotton  Each. 

23.  Wreckage  in  West  End. 


ILLUSTRATIONS.  xi 

24.  Ships  at  Foot  of  18th  Street.     These  Ships  Were 

Driven  Through  Wharf. 

25.  One  of  the  Small  Jetties  on  East  Beach. 

26.  Chicago  Kelief  Train. 

27.  Ruins  of  the  Baptist  Church. 

28.  Galveston  Beach,  Looking  East. 

29.  Virginia  Point  Wreckage,   Showing  Character   of 

Debris  Along  Shore. 

30.  A  View  of  the  Eastern  Part  of  Galveston  from  the 

Grain  Elevator.  View  of  the  Bathers  in  the  Surf 
Taken  from  the  Pier  of  the  Pagoda  Bath  Com- 
pany. 

31.  Water  Works — Twenty-Five  Bodies  Here. 

32.  Disposal  of  the  Dead.     Burial  by  Eire. 

33.  Swept  Away  by  the  Great  Storm.     Cost  over  half  a 

Million. 

34.  Ruins  of  Galveston — Grain  Elevator  in  the  Back- 

ground. Boats  in  the  Foreground  Are  on  Ground 
Level  with  City. 

35.  Wreckage  at  16th  and  M  Streets. 

36.  Wreckage  at  the  Cotton  Piers. 

37.  Fifteenth  Street  and  Tremont. 

38.  One  of  the  Jetties  Covered  with  Debris  and  Dead 

Bodies  of  People  and  Animals. 

39.  Wreckage  on  the  Beach  Near  Pier  18. 

40.  Mechanic  Street — The  Eirst  to  Be  Cleared — Over 

Six  Hundred  Bodies  Removed. 

41.  View  from  Beach. 

42.  Wreck  of  Wharf  at  End  of  the  Long  Bridge. 

43.  Showing  Wrecks  of  Railroad  Tracks  and  Cars. 

44.  Boat  Blown  Inland  and  Left  Six  Miles  from  Shore. 

45.  The  Arrival  of  the  Ambulance  at  Relief  Corps. 

46.  Children's  Ward  of  Relief  Corps. 

47.  The  Kitchen  of  Relief  Corps. 

48.  Major  L.  R.  D.  Fayling,  Commander-in-Chief  City 

Forces  Before  General  Scurry's  Arrival. 

49.  Woman's  Ward  of  Relief  Corps. 

50.  Clara  Barton,  of  the  Red  Cross. 


CHAPTEK  I. 

THE  CITY  OF  GALVESTON. 

The  city  was  named  for  Count  Bernardo  de  Galvez,  a 
Spanish  soldier  and  statesman,  born  in  Malaga  in  1746, 
died  in  Mexico  November  30,  1786.  He  served  in  France 
and  in  the  Algerian  expedition,  rose  to  the  rank  of  colonel, 
and  was  made  Governor  of  Louisiana  July  10, 1776.  Dur- 
ing the  American  revolution  he  gave  the  Americans  aid  for 
operations  at  a  distance  from  Louisiana,  on  the  frontiers 
of  Virginia  and  Pennsylvania  and  on  the  northwest,  but 
did  not  permit  them  to  operate  against  any  of  the  English 
posts  near  him.  When  Spain  joined  the  war  Galvez,  in 
1779,  raised  an  army  and  took  from  the  English  Fort 
Manchac,  Baton  Rouge,  and  Fort  Panmure  at  Natchez. 
In  March,  1780,  he  took  Mobile,  and  on  March  8,  1781, 
he  appeared  before  Pensacola  with  Solano's  fleet,  bearing 
an  army  of  5,000  men,  and  on  May  10  compelled  Gen. 
Campbell  to  surrender.  He  was  created  a  count,  and  in 
1784  appointed  captain-general  of  Cuba,  Louisiana  and 
the  two  Floridas;  but  as  his  father's  death,  Matias  de 
Galvez,  in  1784,  left  his  post  vacant,  he  was  made  Viceroy 
of  Mexico,  retaining  the  captain-generalcy  of  Louisiana 
and  Florida.  He  was  so  regardless  of  stiff  official  Spanish 
dignity  that  he  gave  offence  to  Spain,  and  his  erection  of 
the  palace  of  Chapultepec  excited  suspicion  and  led  to  such 

83 


34  THE  CITY  OF  GALVESTON. 

vexatious  annoyances  that  he  fell  sick  and  died.  Another 
account  says:  Galvez  y  Gallardo,  Bernardo:  soldier  and 
administrator:  Born  in  Macharaviaga,  Spain,  July  23, 
1745.  He  entered  service  as  a  cadet,  and  in  1778  went  to 
Louisiana,  where  he  became  Governor  in  1779.  In  June, 
1785,  he  became  Viceroy  of  Mexico,  succeeding  his  father, 
Matias  de  Galvez.  Died  in  Tacubays,  near  Mexico,  No- 
vember 30,  1786. 

Galveston  is  situated  about  340  miles  to  the  westward 
of  the  mouth  of  the  South  Pass  of  the  Mississippi  River, 
on  the  south  side  of  the  entrance  into  Galveston  Bay,  in 
29°  18'  N.  lat.  and  94°  47'  long,  west  from  Greenwich. 
It  is  the  principal  port  and  largest  city  in  the  State,  is  the 
seat  of  justice  of  Galveston  county,  and  is  located  on  the 
inner  shore  of  Galveston  Island,  about  two  miles  from  its 
northeasterly  point,  known  as  Fort  Point.  The  city, 
therefore,  faces  the  main  Texas  shore,  being  separated 
from  it  by  West  Bay,  lying  between  the  island  and  the 
mainland.  The  principal  portion  of  the  county  lies  on 
the  mainland  fronting  the  two  bays  above  named,  its  gen- 
eral surface,  like  that  of  the  island,  being  low  and  level, 
and  the  soil  sandy. 

Galveston  Island  is  a  low  sandy  island,  about  28  miles 
long  and  1J  to  3J  miles  wide,  stretching  along  the  coast 
of  Texas  in  a  northeasterly  and  southwesterly  direction, 
and  forming  the  gulf  coast-line  throughout  its  entire 
length.  Its  surface,  which  has  an  average  height  of  4  to  5 
feet  above  tide  level,  is  diversified  by  a  number  of  fresh- 
water ponds,  and  intersected  by  several  creeks  and  small 
bayous.  The  beach,  on  the  gulf  side,  furnished  a  smooth 
and  pleasant  drive  during  low-water  stage,  and  excel- 
lent surf -bathing. 


MISS    CLARA    BARTON,    PRESIDENT    RED    CROSS.    WHO    PERSONALLY 
VISITED  GALVESTON  TO  AID  THE  SUFFERERS. 


THE  CITY  OF  GALVE8TON.  37 

The  harbor  of  Galveston  has  the  reputation  of  being 
the  best  in  the  State,  and  the  bay  of  the  same  name,  includ- 
ing certain  outlying  portions  of  it  known  severally  as  East 
Bay,  West  Bay  and  Turtle  Bay,  covers  an  area  of  upwards 
of  450  square  miles  of  tidal  water.  At  the  head  of  the  bay, 
about  35  miles  from  the  city  in  a  northerly  direction,  it 
receives  Trinity  Kiver,  its  largest  tributary,  while  San 
Jacinto  River  and  Buffalo  Bayou  enter  it  from  the  west  18 
miles  lower  down. 

The  mean  rise  and  fall  of  the  tide  at  Galveston  is  1 1-10 
feet,  but  spring-tides  occasionally  rise  more  than  three 
feet  above  and  fall  nearly  two  feet  below  the  plane  of  mean 
low  water,  and  fluctuations  between  much  wider  limits  are 
not  uncommon  under  the  influence  of  heavy  winds.  Dur- 
ing a  storm  which  occurred  in  October,  1867,  the  water 
rose  6  6-10  feet  above  mean  low-water  stage,  and  in  Sep- 
tember, 1875,  it  rose  in  some  portions  of  the  bay  7  feet, 
and  in  others  9J  feet  above  the  same  level.  Two  years 
later  there  was  a  rise  of  5  2-10  feet,  produced  by  an  on- 
shore wind  which  reached  a  maximum  velocity  of  60  miles 
per  hour.  The  lowest  tide  of  which  we  have  any  record 
fell  3  2-10  feet  below  mean  low-water  level,  thus  giving  a 
difference  of  12  7-10  feet  between  the  highest  and  the 
lowest  recorded  tides. 

A  sand-bar,  produced  and  maintained  by  the  actien  of 
waves  and  currents,  stretches  across,  bow-shaped,  in  front 
of  the  entrance  into  the  bay,  the  harbor  between  Fort  Point 
and  Bolivar  Point  being  about  two  miles. 

The  United  States  Government  undertook  the  improve- 
ment of  this  entrance  by  means  of  two  jetties,  one  starting 
from  Fort  Point  and  the  other  from  Bolivar  Point,  having 
an  aggregate  length  of  about  7  miles. 


38  THE  CITY  OF  GALVE8TON. 

The  peculiar  mode  of  construction  adopted  for  these 
works  by  the  superintending  engineer,  Major  C.  W.  How- 
ell,  United  States  Corps  of  Engineers,  merits  notice.  The 
jetties  are  formed  of  large  gabions,  or  basket  work  cylin- 
ders, plastered  inside  and  out  with  hydraulic  cement,  so 
as  to  give  a  thickness  of  from  5  to  6  inches  to  the  cylin- 
drical wall.  The  gabions  are  either  circular,  with  a  diam- 
eter of  6  feet,  or  of  an  oval  cross  section,  with  diameters 
of  6  feet  and  12  feet  respectively.  They  are  closed  at  the 
bottom,  and  are  also  provided  with  a  tight-fitting  wooden 
cover.  After  being  sunk  to  their  proper  position  in  the 
work,  on  their  ends,  arranged  in  a  single  or  double  row, 
they  are  filled  with  sand  pumped  up  from  the  bottom,  and 
passed  in  through  a  hole  left  in  the  gabion  cover.  At 
first  these  gabions  were  placed  directly  on  the  bottom,  but 
the  action  of  the  sea  and  currents  caused  so  much  under- 
scour  and  settlement  that  a  foundation  of  fascines  formed 
into  a  matress  and  weighted  with  stones  was  resorted  to. 

Galveston  was  settled  in  1837,  with  wide,  straight 
streets,  and  public  squares,  parks  and  gardens.  The  streets 
running  parallel  to  West  Bay  are  known  as  avenues,  and 
are  designated  by  the  letters  of  the  alphabet,  beginning 
at  the  bay,  while  those  at  right  angles  to  the  water  are 
numbered.  Special  names  are  assigned  to  some  of  the 
streets.  Avenue  A,  parallel  and  next  to  the  wharf  or  chan- 
nel front,  is  mostly  occupied  by  wholesale  houses.  Next 
comes  Avenue  B,  or  "The  Strand,"  and  then  Avenue  C, 
or  Mechanic  street,  both  devoted  largely  to  the  wholesale 
business.  Avenue  D,  or  Market  street,  for  a  distance  of 
seventeen  squares,  is  occupied  by  retail  stores,  shops,  res- 
taurants, banks,  hotels,  etc.  This  is  the  main  shopping 
street.  Avenues  E  and  F  are  of  the  same  character.  The 


THE  CITY  OF  GALVESTON.  39 

Postoffice  and  United  States  courthouse  are  at  the  intersec- 
tion of  Avenue  F  and  Twentieth  street,  and  the  custom- 
house is  near  by.  Avenue  J,  or  Broadway,  is  regarded 
as  the  most  desirable  locality  for  residences.  It  is  150  feet 
wide,  including  an  esplanade  36  feet  wide  through  the 
middle,  and  a  16-foot  sidewalk  on  either  side.  Bath  ave- 
nue, at  right  angles  to  Broadway,  is  120  feet  wide.  Fre- 
mont, or  Twenty-third  street,  is  the  principal  drive  in  the 
city,  and  is  maintained  as  a  shell  road  from  the  Strand  to 
the  Gulf  beach.  With  the  exceptions  named  the  streets  are 
80  feet  and  the  avenues  70  feet  wide,  including  16-feet 
sidewalks,  and  the  blocks  or  squares  are  uniformly  260 
feet  wide  and  300  feet  long,  with  an  alley  20  feet  wide 
running  lengthwise  through  the  middle,  along  the  rear 
of  the  lots.  The  portion  of  the  city  built  over  extends 
from  about  Sixth  to  Fortieth  streets,  and  from  Avenue  A 
south  to  within  two  or  three  blocks  of  the  Gulf  beach.  The 
streets  are  paved  with  blocks  of  heart  cypress,  avenues  are 
shelled  from  between  Tenth  to  Thirty-second  streets,  or 
thereabouts,  with  clam  shells  from  18  to  30  inches  deep. 
Trees  were  planted  very  generally  on  the  outer  edge  of  the 
sidewalks,  the  oleander  being  the  chief  growth.  It  fre- 
quently attains  a  height  of  20  to  25  feet,  and  grows  rap- 
idly from  slips  with  great  luxuriance,  blooming  the  year 
round.  The  fig,  orange,  the  black  Hamburg  and  other 
kinds  of  grape,  and  many  varieties  of  evergreen  shrubbery 
thrive  and  nourish.  Throughout  the  most  thickly  settled 
portions  of  the  city  the  sidewalks  are  paved  with  either 
asphaltum,  concrete,  brick  or  German  or  English  tiles. 
The  business  portion  of  the  city  is  built  up  mostly  with 
brick,  and  within  certain  defined  fire  limits  the  erection  of 
wooden  buildings  is  prohibited. 


40  THE  CITY  OF  GALVESTON. 

The  county  of  Texas  in  which  the  city  of  Galveston 
is  situated,  including  the  island  containing  the  city,  has 
an  area  of  680  square  miles,  of  which  274  square  miles 
are  water.  The  population  in  1870  was  15,290,  of  whom 
3,236  were  colored.  The  main  portion  of  the  county  oc- 
cupies the  western  shore  of  Galveston  Bay,  and  is  sepa- 
rated from  the  island,  lying  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  by 
West  Bay.  Northeast  of  the  island  and  separated  from 
it  by  a  channel  one  or  two  miles  wide,  is  Bolivar  pen- 
insula, forming  a  part  of  the  county,  and  lying  between 
the  Gulf  and  East  Bay,  an  arm  of  Galveston  Bay.-  The 
surface  is  generally  level,  and  the  soil  sandy.  The  chief 
productions  of  the  county  in  1870  were  2,905  bushels  of 
Indian  corn,  16,205  of  sweet  potatoes,  and  213  tons  of 
hay.  There  were  390  horses,  717  milch  cows,  6,140 
other  cattle,  586  sheep,  and  719  swine  on  farms.  The 
number  of  manufacturing  establishments  was  91,  employ- 
ing 533  hands;  capital  invested,  $710,950;  value  of  prod- 
ucts, $1,214,814. 

The  chief  city  of  Texas  in  population  and  commerce, 
the  seat  of  justice  of  the  county  and  port  of  entry  is  at 
the  northeast  extremity  of  Galveston  island,  at  the  mouth 
of  the  bay  of  the  same  name,  the  entrance  of  which  is 
through  the  channel  between  the  city  and  the  southwest 
point  of  the  peninsula  of  Bolivar,  where  a  lighthouse  has 
been  erected,  180  miles  east  by  southeast  of  Austin,  and 
290  miles  west  by  south  of  New  Orleans;  latitude  29 
degrees,  46  minutes  west.  Population  in  1850  was  4,177 ; 
in  1860,  7,307;  in  1870,  13,818,  of  whom  3,007  were 
colored,  and  3,614  foreigners.  The  population  at  the  be- 
ginning of  1874  was  estimated  by  the  local  authorities  at 
from  25,000  to  30,000.  The  island  is  about  28  miles  long 


Ubfe 


~f 


THE  CITY  OF  GALVE8TON.  43 

and  1|  to  3J  miles  wide,  intersected  by  many  small 
bayous,  diversified  by  several  fresh-water  ponds,  and  bor- 
dered throughout  its  whole  length  by  a  smooth  hard  beach, 
which  forms  a  pleasant  drive  and  promenade.  The  bay  is 
an  irregular  indentation,  branching  out  into  various  arms, 
and  receiving  Trinity  and  San  Jacinto  rivers  and  Buffalo 
bayou.  It  extends  35  miles  north  from  the  city  to  the 
mouth  of  Trinity  river,  and  has  a  breadth  of  from  12  to 
18  miles.  The  harbor  is  the  best  in  the  State,  and  has 
13  feet  of  water  over  the  bar  at  low  tide.  The  city  is 
provided  with  good  wharves,  and  large  storehouses  ad- 
joining them.  The  chief  business  is  the  shipping  of  cotton. 
The  Southern  Cotton  Press  Company  owned  14  brick 
warehouses,  each  occupying  2J  acres,  and  the  Texas  Cot- 
ton Press  Company  3  more  brick  warehouses,  covering 
7£  acres.  In  1883,  170,711  bales  were  shipped  to  Great 
Britain,  6,100  to  France,  32,584  to  other  European  coun- 
tries, 18,630  to  ISTew  Orleans,  67,038  to  New  York,  18,756 
to  Boston,  and  14,794  to  other  coastwise  ports.  The  re- 
ceipts of  hides  were  460,854,  shipments,  459,582 ;  receipts 
of  wool,  3,873  bags,  shipments,  3,760  bags.  The  value 
of  pine  lumber  received  was  $624,000 ;  cypress,  $480,000 ; 
total,  $1,104,000;  head  of  cattle  shipped,  50,699.  The 
total  value  of  shipments  was  $35,333,747,  including  cotton 
to  the  value  of  $32,423,806 ;  of  receipts,  $29,811,831.  The 
number  of  immigrants  during  the  year  was  44,.614.  The 
number  of  vessels  belonging  to  the  port  was  257,  with 
an  aggregate  tonnage  of  23,462,  including  198  sailing- 
vessels  of  13,813  tons,  35  steamers  of  6,709  tons,  and  24 
barges  of  2,900  tons;  built  during  the  year,  10  sailing 
vessels  of  165  tons,  and  one  barge  of  57  tons.  The  Gal- 
veston,  Houston  and  Henderson  railroad  connects  the 


44  TEE  CITY  OF  GALVESTON. 

city  with  Houston  and  the  diverging  railroads,  crossing 
West  Bay  on  a  bridge  nearly  two  miles  long.  The  depot 
and  warehouses  cover  20  acres.  The  Galveston  Wharf 
railroad  enabled  the  company  to  load  its  cars  directly 
from  the  vessels.  A  canal  10  miles  long  opens  an  avenue 
for  commerce  to  the  Brazos  river. 

The  -business  of  Galveston  was  extremely  depressed 
during  the  great  war  of  the  States,  but  when  peace  with 
union  and  honor  came  the  commercial,  manufacturing  and 
maratime  interests  of  the  city  took  on  new  life,  and  before 
the  recent  disaster  a  general  feeling  of  confidence  pre- 
vailed, and  the  outlook  for  prosperity  and  stability  was 
brighter  than  ever  in  the  history  of  the  city.  It  had  a 
steady  increase  in  population.  The  population  (U.  S. 
Census)  in  1870,  15,290;  in  1880,  29,118;  Directory 
count,  1891,  56,000. 

In  1890-1891,  Galveston  established  a  system  of  water 
works,  the  supply  coming  from  artesian  wells. 

From  August  1,  1888,  to  August  1,  1889,  75  steam- 
ers entered  the  harbor  from  foreign  ports,  and  192  en- 
tered from  coastwise  ports,  while  80  cleared  for  foreign 
ports,  and  174  for  coastwise  ports. 

Ocean-going  vessels  which  entered  and  cleared  from 
this  port  for  seven  months,  ending  March  31,  1899,  were 
as  follows : 

No.  Tons. 

Entered  from  foreign  ports. 162  194,883 

Entered  from  domestic  ports 203  241,468 

Cleared  for  foreign  ports 176  246,613 

Cleared  for  domestic  ports 202  271,176 


Total 743  954,140 

Ocean-going  vessels  brought  into  and  carried  out  of  the 


THE  CITY  OF  GALVESTON.  45 

port  in  twelve  months,  ending  June  30,  1891  (May  and 
June  estimated  to  equal  previous  year),  merchandise  and 
products  amounting  in  value  to : 

Imports,  foreign  and  domestic $  87,000,000 

Exports,  foreign  and  domestic 84,000,000 


Total  value $171,000,000 

Imports  consisted  of  miscellaneous  merchandise,  coal, 
etc.,  mainly  from  New  York  and  other  Atlantic  ports, 
foreign  imports  being  less  than  one-third  of  the  total.  Of 
the  exports,  cotton  amounted  to  ahout  $50,000,000. 

Ten  years  ago  it  was  estimated  that  the  annual  busi- 
ness of  Galveston  was  very  near  $200,000,000,  and  there 
were  over  300  factories.  Add  the  output  of  manufac- 
tories and  the  total  amount  of  business  reached  $250,- 
000,000. 

Mrs.  Huston,  an  English  lady,  who  was  yachting  in 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico  when  Henry  Clay  was  running  for 
President  in  1844,  said  of  the  prospects  of  the  then  inde- 
pendent State  of  Texas,  writing  at  Galveston : 

"In  considering  the  state  of  commerce  here,  there  is 
one  truth  plainly  evident,  that  Texas  will  soon  monopolize 
the  whole  of  the  Mexican  trade.  This  has  hitherto  been 
conducted  by  trading  parties  from  the  United  States, 
who  after  traversing  the  entire  extent  of  the  great  western 
prairies,  as  far  as  the  Rocky  mountains,  meet  and  trans- 
act their  negotiations  with  the  Mexican  traders  at  Santa 
Fe.  When  it  is  considered  that  Santa  Fe  is  only  distant 
from  Galveston  five  hundred  miles,  one  may  form  some 
idea  of  the  commercial  advantages  the  Texans  would 
possess  over  the  Americans.  The  latter  have,  for  years, 
found  it  worth  their  while  to  pay  the  enormous  duties 


46  TEE  CITY  OF  GALVESTON. 

charged  for  the  admission  of  English  cotton  goods  into 
America.  The  merchandise  has  then  heen  transported 
from  Philadelphia  or  New  York,  upwards  of  four  thou- 
sand miles  to  Santa  Fe,  and  great  part  of  this  distance 
on  the  backs  of  beasts  of  burden.  What  a  price  the  poor 
Mexicans  must  have  paid  for  their  purchases,  to  allow  these 
enterprising  traders  a  profit,  and  one  good  enough  to  sat- 
isfy a  Yankee  calculator." 

It  might  naturally  have  been  expected  that  these  signs 
of  the  present,  and  visions  of  the  future,  would  have 
aroused  the  Government  to  exertion ;  and  induced  them  to 
take  some  measures  in  order  to  render  the  entrance  of 
the  harbor  less  dangerous.  The  city  has  an  available  wharf 
frontage  on  Galveston  channel  of  over  60,000  feet.  Its 
beach  is  said  to  be  unsurpassed  by  any  other  on  the  Ameri- 
can continent.  It  extends  the  whole  length  of  the  island 
east  and  west,  and  almost  as  smooth  as  a  floor.  Mag- 
nolia Grove  Cemetery  comprises  100  acres,  and  the  City 
Cemetery  10  acres.  Four  railroads  run  into  the  city  of 
Galveston.  They  are  the  Galveston,  Houston  &  Hender- 
son, the  Gulf,  Colorado  &  Santa  Fe,  the  International  and 
Great  Northern,  and  the  Aransas  Pass, — the  latter  run- 
ning into  the  city  via  the  track  of  the  Gulf,  Colorado  & 
Santa  Fe. 

The  people  of  Galveston  have  claimed  and  had  ample 
reason  to  believe  that  their  city  is  "the  most  attractive, 
coolest  and  healthiest  city  in  the  South.  Constant  Gulf 
breeze,  unsurpassed  surf  bathing  and  thirty  miles  of  beach 
for  riding  and  driving,  which  is  unequaled  in  the  world." 

The  population  of  Galveston  according  to  the  census  of 
1900  was.  37,798.  In  1890  it  was  29,100.  There  are 
two  cities  in  Indiana  in  the  same  class  as  to  population: 
Tprr«  Haute,  36,673;  South  Bend,  35,999. 


TEE  CITY  OF  GALVESTON.  47 

EXPORTS  AND  IMPOETS  OF  GALYESTOK— 
OFFICIAL. 

Tear  ending  Exports. 

June  30 —  Domestic.  Foreign.      Total. 

1885 $12,678,433  $    721   $12,679,154 

1886 16,960,514  6,337  16,966,851 

1887 18,899,665  3,223  18,902,888 

1888 15,700,984  2,163  15,703,147 

1889 15,525,180  51,012  15,576,192 

1890 24,326,760  120,071  24,446,831 

1891 33,678,399  93,606  33,772,005 

1892 35,102,289  283,967  35,386,256 

1893 37,328,611  147,883  37,476,494 

1894 34,886,931  124,857  35,011,788 

1895 41,758,408  128,243  41,886,651 

1896 36,325,451  71,640  36,397,091 

1897 58,147,593  50,581  58,198,174 

1898 67,931,962  498,659  68,428,621 

1899 78,420,904  55,777  78,476,681 

1900 85,657,524 

Tear  ending   .  Imports.  Duty 

June  30 —   Free.  Dutiable.  Total.  collected. 

1885  ...$  875,120  $282,250  $1,157,370  $144,413 

1886  ...   580,219  176,914  757,133  93,353 

1887  ...   381,537  323,772  705,309  148,929 
1888....   313,247  402,621  715,868  207,565 
1889  ....   404,002  318,654  722,656  126,139 
1890....-  94,156  321,636  415,792  109,175 

1891 251,223  396,798  648,021  144,379 

1892 925,701  391,299  1,317,000  121,301 

1893....   554,757  308,695  863,452  109,826 

1894....   516,173  164,544  680,717  63,750 

1895....   194,935  174,640  369,575  64,839 

1896 212,152  390,618  602,770  144,096 

1897....   474,381  304,720  779,101  113,578 

1898....   828,432  337,748  1,166,180  133,038 

1899 2,494,079  427,287  2,921,366  152,693 

1900 1,453,545   


48  THE  CITY  OF  GALVESTON. 

TONNAGE  OF  AMERICAN  AND  FOREIGN  VES- 
SELS ENTERED  AND  CLEARED  AT 
GALVESTON,  TEXAS. 

Entered.  Cleared. 

Tons.  Tons. 

1873 74,015  89,758 

1874 127,708  148,887 

1875 91,913  127,579 

1876 88,536  105,753 

1877 99,386  103,291 

1878 72,611  82,298 

1879 135,500  128,399 

1880 117,972  99,007 

1881 215,311  183,349 

1882 141,743  115,579 

1883 153,614  166,459 

1884 124,094  134,941 

1885 95,563  89,536 

1886 124,192  129,628 

1887 117,102  136,861 

1888 103,446  118,118 

1889 99,548  109,329 

1890 173,473  170,102 

1891 168,058  202,184 

1892 241,198  267,971 

1893 236,118  282,111 

1894 247,030  280,562 

1895 367,738  399,891 

1896 292,726  312,231 

1897 550,652  566,200 

1898. 760,087  811,215 

1899 859,160  928.981 

The  quantity  and  value  of  domestic  raw  cotton  exported 
from  Galveston,  Texas,  for  the  past  ten  years  was  as  fol- 
lows: 1890,  241,259,606  Ibs.,  valued  at  $22,820,784; 


THE  CITY  OF  GALVESTON.  49 

1891,  326,776,311  Ibs.,  $32,567,703;  1892,  21,076,361 
Ibs.,  $32,771,628 ;  1893,  411,441,087  Ibs.,  $33,712,076 ; 
1894,  412,693,769  Ibs.,  $31,145,360;  1895,  717,840,930 
Ibs.,  $38,949,296;  1896,  397,727,228  Ibs.,  $31,739,423; 
1897,  652,631,527  Ibs.,  $47,486,467;  1898,  803,364,307 
Ibs.,  $46,714,156;  1899,  1,076,523,562  Ibs.,  $57,670,423. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  GALES  OF  THE  GULF. 

A  very  quaint  and  interesting  old  book  giving  an  account 
of  early  days  in  Galveston  is  "Texas  and  the  Gulf  of  Mex- 
ico, or,  Yachting  in  the  New  World,"  by  Mrs.  Houston, 
published  by  John  Murray  in  London  in  1844.  The  yacht 
wandered  about  the  Gulf,  appeared  at  New  Orleans,  and 
sailed  to  Galveston,  encountering  a  gale  on  the  way.  One 
of  the  party  gives  this  vivid  story  of  it : 

"The  lightning  was  most  vivid.  The  sky  seemed  to 
open,  and  to  have  changed  its  ordinary  hues  for  a  covering 
of  flame, — while  every  moment,  on  this  brilliant  ground, 
the  red  zig-zag  forks  darted  out  their  angry  tongues  of  fire 
like  some  fierce  and  goaded  animal.  For  hours  I  gazed 
on  this  most  magnificent  sight;  I  could  not  make  up  my 
mind  to  go  below,  though  the  rain  began  to  pour  in  torrents. 
No  one  who  has  not  witnessed  a  storm  of  thunder  and 
lightning  in  tropical  climates  can  form  an  idea  of  the 
mingled  beauty  and  terror  of  the  effect.  For  all  the  world 
I  would  not  have  missed  the  sight,  terrific  and  awe-inspir- 
ing as  it  was. 

"Towards  night  the  tempest  was  at  its  height,  and  the 
sound  of  the  contending  elements,  as  if  roaring  for  their 
prey,  deadened  the  voice  of  man.  Suddenly  a  noise  more 
stunning  than  the  rest  struck  upon  the  ear.  It  was  the 
electric  fluid  against  the  mainmast;  the  sound  it  made 
was  like  that  of  two  hands  clapping,  but  five  hundred  times 
as  loud.  Our  mast  was  only  saved  from  destruction,  and 
with  it,  doubtless,  our  lives,  by  the  circumstance  of  the 

50 


GALES  OF  THE  GULF.  53 

rigging  being  wet,  and  acting  as  a  conductor,  by  which 
means  the  fluid  was  conveyed  over  the  side  into  the  sea. 
One  of  the  most  remarkable  occurrences  during  the  storm 
was  one  which  affected  my  own  person.  At  the  same  time 
that  the  mast  was  struck  I  felt  a  warm  and  most  peculiar 
sensation  down  my  hand,  and  immediately  mentioned  the 
circumstance.  For  many  hours  afterwards  a  deep  red 
mark,  about  six  inches  in  length  and  one  in  breadth,  was 
plainly  to  be  seen  in  the  place  where  I  had  felt  the  heat, 
and  what  I  should  describe  as  almost  pain.  As  I  was  stand- 
ing in  the  direction  in  which  the  lightning  passed,  it  is  to 
be  supposed  that  I  received  at  the  same  time  the  slightest 
possible  shock.  The  escape  we  all  had  from  this  worst  of 
dangers  was  great  and  providential  indeed.  In  a  small 
vessel,  once  on  fire,  with  a  large  quantity  of  gunpowder 
on  board,  our  destruction  must  have  been  inevitable,  had 
not  the  Power  which  had  sustained  us  so  long  among  the 
dangers  of  the  deep  stretched  forth  a  hand  of  deliverance 
over  us. 

"During  the  night  the  gale  continued  with  unabated 
fury.  To  sleep  was  impossible,  and  as  I  lay  in  my  cot, 
rocked  from  side  to  side  and  longing  for  daylight,  I  heard 
a  strange  and  unaccustomed  sound  outside  my  cabin  door. 
On  going  out  to  ascertain  from  whence  it  proceeded,  I 
found  some  flying-fish,  which  had  come  down  the  com- 
panion ladder  with  the  wind  and  spray,  flapping  their 
delicate  wings  on  the  oil-cloth.  It  was  a  strange  situation 
for  flying-fish  to  find  themselves  in." 

Mrs.  Houston  said  of  Galveston — this  was  sixty  years 
ago: 

"The  harbor  of  Galveston,  if  properly  buoyed,  would 
be  by  no  means  a  bad  one.  The  entrance  is  perfectly  safe 


54  ,         GALES  OF  THE  GULF. 

for  vessels  drawing  10  feet  of  water,  and  there  are  times 
when  ships  drawing  12,  and  even  14  feet,  may  venture  in. 
It  is,  without  any  question,  the  best  harbor  in  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico,  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  no  other  port  than  that 
of  Galveston  will  ever  be  of  any  commercial  importance 
in  Texas.  In  the  present  state,  however,  of  this  neglected 
harbor  no  company,  either  in  England  or  America,  will 
insure  vessels  bound  for  the  port  of  Galveston." 

This  intelligent  lady  wrote  of  the  character  of  the  Gulf 
storms : 

"These  northers  being  peculiar  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  I 
must  endeavor  to  describe  them.  They  most  frequently 
occur  after  a  few  days  of  damp,  dull  weather,  and  gener- 
ally about  once  a  fortnight.  Their  approach  is  known  by 
a  dark  bank  rising  on  the  horizon,  and  gradually  over- 
spreading the  heavens.  The  storm  bursts  forth  with  won- 
derful suddenness  and  tremendous  violence,  and  generally 
lasts  forty-eight  hours;  the  wind  after  that  period  veers 
round  to  the  east  and  southward,  and  the  storm  gradually 
abates.  During  the  continuance  of  a  norther  the  cold  is 
intense,  and  the  wind  so  penetrating  it  is  almost  impossible 
to  keep  oneself  warm.  The  weather  is  generally  clear,  and 
frequently  the  northers  are  almost  unaccompanied  by  rain. 
The  tremendous  hurricane  that  occurred  last  September, 
as  it  was  described  to  us,  is  calculated  to  give  one  the  im- 
pression that  on  some  future  day  the  flourishing  city  of 
Galveston  may  be  swept  away  by  the  overwhelming  in- 
cursions of  the  sea.  On  the  occasion  I  have  alluded  to, 
such  was  the  force  of  the  winds  and  waves  that  many 
houses  were  turned  topsy-turvy,  and  some  were  floated 
many  hundred  yards  from  their  original  position.  The 
greater  part  of  the  island  was  also  under  water  for  many 


GALES  OF  THE  GULF.  55 

days,  and  boats  were  in  request  to  go  from  one  house  to 
another.  Such  a  storm  as  this,  however,  has  never  oc- 
curred before  in  the  memory  of  the  oldest  inhabitant,  and 
some  fishermen  who  had  been  resident  there  more  than 
twenty  years  asserted  that  their  previous  experience  pre- 
sented no  parallel  for  such  a  destructive  hurricane.  A 
stronger  argument  in  favor  of  the  city  never  being  entirely 
submerged  is  the  fact  that  the  accumulation  of  sand, 
which  forms  the  island,  continues  increasing,  while  it  is 
proved  beyond  doubt  that  the  land  is  everywhere  encroach- 
ing on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  We  saw  an  excellent  old  Span- 
ish chart  of  the  coast,  which  was  made  sixty  or  seventy 
years  ago,  and  on  comparing  it  with  our  own  we  found  it 
on  all  important  points  remarkably  accurate.  The  Island 
of  Galveston,  however,  is  there  represented  as  much  smaller 
than  it  is  at  present,  and  Pelican  Island  (a  large  sand  bank 
in  the  middle  of  the  bay)  is  entirely  omitted. 

"The  best  period  for  entering  the  harbor  at  Galveston 
is  after  a  southerly  wind  has  been  blowing  pretty  fresh 
for  some  days,  and  is  then  succeeded  by  a  norther.  Ad- 
vantage should  be  taken,  at  the  very  commencement  of 
the  gale,  to  pass  the  bar  (as  vessels  may  lay  over  the  bar 
with  a  northerly  wind)  or  otherwise,  one  may  almost  say, 
the  whole  of  the  available  water  is  blown  out  of  the  bay, 
and  thus  the  depth  on  the  bar  is  perhaps  reduced  to  less 
than  nine  feet.  One  of  the  evils  arising  from  the  hitherto 
unsettled  state  of  the  country  seems  to  be  that  the  people, 
instead  of  attending  to  their  domestic  affairs  and  agricul- 
tural pursuits,  have  occupied  themselves,  for  want  of  better 
employment,  in  making  a  superabundance  of  laws  and  acts 
of  congress. 


56  GALES  OF  THE  GULF. 

"The  cold  wind  seemed  to  have  been  still  more  severely 
felt  here  than  it  had  been  up  the  country,  and  one  poor 
man  had  actually  died  from  its  effects.  This  dismal  death, 
however,  was  not  so  much  to  be  ascribed  to  the  intensity 
of  the  frost  as  to  the  extreme  keenness  and  strength  of  the 
wind.  The  crew  were  fortunately  always  prepared,  by 
the  sudden  falling  of  the  glass,  for  these  national  northers ; 
but  if  it  happened  that  I  myself  had  neglected  to  consult 
this  unerring  guide,  I  have  been  quite  astonished  at  their 
arrival.  I  have  known  a  calm,  as  still  as  death;  not  a 
ripple  on  the  water  and  not  a  murmur  on  the  breeze ;  when 
suddenly  a  sailor  has  exclaimed,  'Here  it  comes!'  and,  in  a 
moment,  literally  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  the  wind  was 
roaring  through  the  rigging,  and  the  sea  rising  to  a  tre- 
mendous height: 

"Remoter  waves  came  rolling  on  to  see 
The  strange  transforming  mystery. 

"On  my  last  day  at  Galveston  I  passed  near  the  burying 
ground,  and  a  sad  sight  indeed  it  was.  I  should  not  have 
been  aware  of  its  proximity  had  I  not  perceived  a  human 
skull  under  my  horse's  feet!  On  looking  round  I  saw 
many  similar  relics,  and  hurried  from  the  spot  with  a 
feeling  of  dismay  and  horror  which  it  would  be  difficult 
to  describe.  The  reason  for  this  desecration  of  the  dead 
is  as  follows :  The  sandy  soil  has  so  little  depth  that  no 
sooner  are  the  dead  deposited  in  the  ground  than  they  are 
denuded  of  their  light  covering,  and  the  sea,  which  washes 
the  limits  of  the  burial  ground,  claims  its  share  of  these 
neglected  remains.  The  consequence  is  that  the  adjoining 
land  is  actually  strewn  by  human  bones  in  every  direction. 


GALES  OF  THE  GULF.  59 

"I  stood  upon  the  place  of  graves ! 
There,  where  eternal  ocean  laves 
The  land  bound  shore.   The  wind's  low  moan 
Through  the  long  grass  was  heard  alone ; 
Save  when  at  intervals  the  sea 
Kippled  in  mournful  melody. 
I  was  alone.     Meet  spot  for  thought! 
In  that  deep  solitude,  where  naught 
Reminded  me  of  life !    Far  off 
The  city's  tumult,  and  the  scoff 
Of  laughing  crowds.    They  are  forgot 
Who  lie  in  silence  here,  where  not 
A  stone  or  mound  is  raised  to  show 
Who  are  the  dead  that  sleep  below ! 
Whose  are  the  bones  that  whitening  lie 
Sad  relics  of  mortality, 
Strew'd  on  the  flowering  herb,  or  prest 
By  heedless  feet  ?  a  heartless  jest 
To  some ! — I  look  upon  the  sea ! 
Its  waves  are  dancing  in  their  glee 
And  sporting  bright  and  merrily. 
But  mark !   Whose  is  the  brainless  skull, 
That,  like  the  wreck's  and  useless  hull 
Of  some  once  stately  ship  floats  on 
Buoyant  in  its  emptiness  ?   none, 
None  answer,  and  the  lightsome  wave 
Sports  with  the  outcast  of  the  grave. 
Now  on  the  crescent  foam  it  rides, 
Now  'neath  the  dashing  wave  it  hides ; 
And  now  it  slowly  onward  glides, 
Say,  busy  man !  is  this  the  end 
Of  all  thy  labor  ?    To  descend 


60  GALES  OF  THE  GULF. 

Into  a  nameless  grave ;  no  tear 
Shed  on  thy  poor  and  lowly  bier, 
Forgotten  in  the  busy  strife 
Of  those  who  were  thy  friends  in  life. 
What  now  thy  country's  cause  to  thee  ? 
Thou  reck'st  not  that  she  now  is  free. 
Boldly  thou  strove  in  freedom's  cause; 
High  (at  the  murmuring  applause 
Of  wondering  nations)  beat  thy  heart; 
!Nbw  low,  and  hush'd,  and  still,  and  part 
Of  that  dear  earth  thou  bleds't  to  free — 
A  lesson  to  posterity !" 

A  few  years  ago  Lippincott's  Magazine  contained  a 
chapter  about  Florida  storms,  containing  many  rare  and 
curious,  among  them  that  when  a  gulf  hurricane  is  abroad, 
look  out  for  another,  for  there  will  be  a  2sTo.  2,  if  not  in 
three  days,  in  three  weeks.  There  was  a  storm  September 
29,  1896,  that  crossed  Florida,  killing  100  people,  making 
thousands  homeless,  and  destroying  4,000,000  acres  of 
timber.  It  was  like  what  the  storm  of  1880  might  have 
been  with  all  the  force  in  its  three  hundred  miles  of  width 
narrowed  to  forty  miles ;  and  it  stands  unrivaled  in  con- 
centration of  fury.  In  the  storm  of  1880  the  wind  did 
not  blow  continuously,  but  came  in  gusts,  like  heavy,  irreg- 
ular breathing.  It  would  roar  and  howl  for  two  or  three 
minutes,  snapping  off  great  pine  trees  and  bending  others 
to  the  earth ;  then,  with  sudden  cessation,  it  would  be  per- 
fectly still,  as  if  gathering  breath  for  harder  effort,  and  in 
another  instant  could  be  heard  coming  again  like  the  rush 
and  rumble  of  a  hundred  railroad  trains. 

Lippincott's  gives  this  superb  sketch  of  the  gulf  as  the 


GALES  OF  THE  GULF.  61 

home  of  great  gales,  and  states  their  peculiarities  with  a 
masterly  touch : 

"The  sea  itself,  wholly  intertropical,  is  warm  and  bright 
and  famous  for  its  gorgeous  sunsets.  Emerald  isles  in 
irregular  chain  hem  its  northern  and  eastern  bounds,  and 
from  near  the  center  the  beautiful  mountains  of  Jamaica 
rise,  decked  with  orange,  coffee  and  pimento  groves.  But 
in  its  depths  lie  mysteries.  As  over  it  great  storms  form, 
under  it  awful  earthquakes  have  origin.  The  first  come 
north,  striking  Florida  occasionally;  the  latter  go  south, 
shocking  the  Venezuelans  frequently.  The  city  of  Caracas 
was  shaken  down  by  one  in  1812,  burying  ten  thousand 
people  in  half  a  minute.  Of  the  two,  Floridians  prefer 
hurricanes. 

"Ocean  currents  may  have  something,  possibly  a  great 
deal,  to  do  with  the  creation  of  storms ;  at  all  events,  there 
seems  to  be  some  affinity  between  them.  The  Great  Equa- 
torial Current,  coming  from  the  Gulf  of  Guinea  or  there- 
abouts, rushes  across  the  Atlantic  and  into  the  Caribbean 
Sea,  forcing  out  a  strong  current  by  way  of  the  Yucatan 
Channel  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  There,  taking  the  name 
of  'Gulf  Stream/  it  flows  around,  growing  hotter  and 
stronger,  until  it  sweeps  down  and  out  through  the  Florida 
straits  at  a  speed  of  five  miles  an  hour.  Thence  it  rushes 
along  the  Atlantic  seaboard  to  the  banks  of  ISTewf  oundland, 
and  from  there  crosses  the  Atlantic,  modifying  the  climate 
of  Northern  Europe. 

"According  to  our  information,  hurricanes  form  most 
frequently  near  the  Leeward  Islands  in  the  Caribbean  Sea, 
and  in  the  beginning  go  west,  impelled  by  what  seems  to 
be  a  natural  tendency.  Young  men,  the  Star  of  Empire, 
the  Trade  Winds,  the  equatorial  currents,  all  go  west,  and 


62  GALE8  OF  THE  GULF. 

no  doubt  the  Gulf  Stream  would  if  it  could ;  possibly  it  can 
when  the  Darien  or  Nicaraguan  canal  has  been  cut — a 
contingency  well  worth  considering  when  we  come  to  sever 
North  and  South  America. 

"Starting  west,  then,  instead  of  forcing  a  passage 
through  the  dense  forests  of  Central  America,  the  young 
hurricane  rides  on  the  breast  of  the  Gulf  Stream  into  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico.  There  it  sometimes  cuts  loose  from  the 
current,  turns  west  again,  and  gets  lost  in  the  wilds  of 
Texas.  But  more  often  it  stays  with  the  Gulf  Stream,  fol- 
lows it  down  through  the  Florida  straits,  and  goes  howling 
up  the  Atlantic  coast.  Occasionally  instead  of  this  tor- 
tuous course,  one  will  take  a  short  cut  across  North  Flor- 
ida, and  join  the  Gulf  Stream  somewhere  beyond  Charles- 
ton, Norfolk  or  Hatteras. 

"They  have  two  motions,  progressive  and  whirling.  It 
is  the  whirl,  which  may  be  at  the  rate  of  a  hundred  miles 
an  hour,  that  gets  away  with  things.  The  forward  or  pro- 
gressive motion  may  go  slow  or  fast,  making  the  blow  long 
or  short  in  duration  without  in  any  way  affecting  its  vio- 
lence. The  whirl  may  be  twenty-five  or  five  hundred  miles 
in  diameter,  and  be  hours  or  days  in  passing  a  given  point, 
as  the  progressive  movement  is  slow  or  fast.  In  the  North- 
ern hemisphere  the  whirl  is  always  from  right  to  left ;  that 
is,  from  east  to  west,  growing  in  rapidity  as  the  center  is 
approached,  until  in  the  very  center  there  is  a  core  or 
axle  of  perfectly  calm  air,  around  which  the  great  storm 
wheel  turns. 

"There  is  no  pyrotechnical  accompaniment,  no  brilliant 
flashing  of  lightning,  no  booming  of  heaven's  artillery. 
There  is  just  a  rush  and  roar,  while  dark  clouds,  low  and 


GALES  OF  THE  GULF.  65 

wet,  pour  down  an  ocean.  Fifty-six  inches  of  water  fell 
in  one  Florida  storm. 

"Whirling  as  they  do  from  right  to  left,  storms  passing 
east  of  Florida  blow  from  the  northeast ;  on  the  other  side 
they  come  from  the  southwest." 

The  storm  that  smote  Galveston  gathered  September  1, 
latitude  15  south,  longitude  70  west,  or  some  calculate  that 
it  was  67  west  latitude,  or  south  of  Porto  Rico,  and  the 
movement  was  slowly  west  and  slightly  north.  September 
4  it  was  apparently  central  south  of  Cuba,  in  latitude  22 
north,  longitude  81  west.  The  pressure  then  began  to 
fall,  and  heavy  tropical  rains  began  in  the  West  Indies. 
On  that  day  the  direction  of  the  storm  changed  to  a  more 
northerly  course,  gathering  force  as  it  went. 

Lafcadio  Hearn,  the  romantic  author,  has  written  a 
story  of  a  storm — "Chita" — for  the  Harpers,  that  opens : 

"A  little  more  than  forty  years  ago  there  came  out  of 
the  wonderful  abysses  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  a  storm.  Far 
in  the  south  it  had  begun,  a  steady,  grateful  breeze  that 
blew  coolness  on  the  gem-blue  swells,  that  drove  the  ships 
along  with  merry  sounds  and  made  the  sea-world  most 
beautiful."  The  first  notice  of  the  unusual  was  "one  great 
noon,  when  the  blue  abyss  of  day  seemed  to  yawn  over 
the  world  more  deeply  than  ever  before,  a  sudden  change 
touched  the  quicksilver  smoothness  of  the  waters — the 
swaying  shadow  of  a  vast  motion.  First  the  whole  sea- 
circle  appeared  to  rise  up  bodily  at  the  sky;  the  horizon- 
curve  lifted  to  a  straight  line;  the  line  darkened  and 
approached — a  monstrous  wrinkle,  an  immeasurable  fold 
of  green  water,  moving  swift  as  a  cloud-shadow."  And 
then  the  wind  "blew  in  enormous  sighs,  dying  away  at  reg- 
ular intervals  as  if  pausing  to  draw  breath.  All  night  it 


66  GALES  OF  THE  GULF. 

blew;  and  in  each  pause  could  be  heard  the  answwi*g 
moan  of  the  rising  surf — as  if  the  rhythm  of  the  sea 
molded  itself  after  the  rhythm  of  the  air —  as  if  the  wav- 
ing of  the  water  responded  precisely  to  the  waving  of 
the  wind — a  billow  for  every  puff,  a  surge  for  every  sigh." 

The  gale  grew,  and  "faster  and  faster  overhead  flew 
the  tatters  of  torn  cloud.  The  gray  morning  of  the  9th 
wanly  lighted  a  surf  that  appalled  the  best  swimmers ;  the 
sea  was  one  wild  agony  of  foam,  the  gale  was  rending  off 
the  heads  of  the  waves  and  veiling  the  horizon  with  a  fog 
of  salt  spray.  Shadowless  and  gray  the  day  remained; 
there  were  mad  bursts  of  lashing  rain.  Evening  brought 
with  it  a  sinister  apparition,  looming  through  a  cloud-rent 
in  the  west — a  scarlet  sun  in  a  green  sky.  His  sanguine 
disk,  appallingly  magnified,  seemed  barred  like  the  body 
of  a  belted  planet.  A  moment,  and  the  crimson  spectre 
vanished ;  and  the  moonless  night  came. 

"Then  the  wind  grew  weird.  It  ceased  behig  a  breath ; 
it  became  a  voice  moaning  across  the  world— hooting — 
uttering  nightmare  sounds — Whoo!  whoo!  whoo!  and 
with  each  stupendous  owl-cry  the  mooing  of  the  waters 
seemed  to  deapen,  more  and  more  abysmally,  through  all 
the  hours  of  darkness.  From  the  northwest  the  breakers 
of  the  bay  began  to  roll  high  over  the  sandy  slope,  into  the 
salines ;  the  village  bayou  broadened  to  a  bellowing  flood. 
So  the  tumult  swelled  and  the  turmoil  heightened  until 
morning — a  morning  of  gray  gloom  and  whistling  rain. 
Earn  of  bursting  clouds  and  rain  of  wind-blown  brine 
from  the  great  spuming  agony  of  the  sea." 

Into  this  awful  scenery  the  author  introduces  a  ship 
and  dancing  party,  and  intense  human  interest. 

The  local  office  of  the  United  States  weather  bureau  re- 


GALES  OF  THE  GULF.  67 

ceived  the  first  message  in  regard  to  this  storm  4  p.  m., 
September  4.  It  was  then  moving  northward  over  Cuba. 
Each  day  thereafter  until  the  West  India  hurricane  struck 
Galveston  bulletins  were  posted  by  the  United  States 
weather  bureau  officials  giving  the  progressive  movement 
of  the  disturbance.  On  the  6th  the  tropical  storm  had 
moved  up  over  southern  Florida,  thence  it  changed  its 
course  and  moved  westward  in  the  gulf  and  was  central 
off  the  Louisiana  coast  on  the  morning  of  the  7th,  when 
northwest  storm  warnings  were  ordered  up  for  Galveston. 
On  the  morning  of  the  8th  the  storm  had  increased  in 
energy  and  was  still  moving  westward  and  at  10 :10  a.  m. 
the  northwest  storm  warnings 'were  changed  to  northeast. 
Then  was  when  the  entire  island  was  in  apparent  danger. 
The  telephone  at  the  United  States  weather  bureau  office 
was  busy  until  the  wires  went  down ;  many  could  not  get 
the  use  of  telephone  on  account  of  line  being  busy  and 
people  came  to  the  office  in  droves  inquiring  about  the 
weather.  About  the  following  information  was  given  to  all 
alike:  "The  tropical  storm  is  now  in  the  gulf  south  or 
southeast  of  us ;  the  winds  will  shift  to  the  northeast,  east 
and  probably  to  the  southeast  by  morning,  increasing  in 
energy.  If  you  live  in  low  parts  of  city  move  to  high 
grounds."  Prepare  for  the  worst,  which  is  yet  to  come, 
were  the  only  consoling  words  of  the  weather  bureau  of- 
ficials from  morning  until  night,  when  no  information 
could  be  given  out.  The  local  forecast  official  and  one 
observer  were  out  taking  tide  observations  about  4  a.  m. 
of  the  7th.  One  observer  stayed  at  the  office  through  the 
entire  storm.  Another  left  after  he  had  sent  the  last  tele- 
gram which  could  be  gotten  off,  it  being  filed  at  Houston 
over  the  telephone  wires  about  4  p.  m.  Over  half  the 


68  GALES  OF  THE  GULF. 

city  was  covered  with  tide  water  by  3  p.  m.  One  of  the 
observers  left  for  home  at  about  4  p.  m.,  after  he  had 
done  all  he  could,  as  telephone  wires  were  then  going 
down.  The  entire  city  was  then  covered  with  water  from 
one  to  five  feet  deep.  On  his  way  home  he  saw  hundreds 
of  people  and  he  informed  all  he  could  that  the  worst  was 
yet  to  come,  and  people  who  could  not  hear  his  voice 
on  account  of  being  quite  a  distance  off  he  motioned  for 
them  to  go  to  town. 

The  lowest  barometer  by  observation  was  28.53  inches 
at  8  :10  p.  m.,  but  the  barometer  went  slightly  lower  than 
this,  according  to  the  barograph.  The  tide  at  about  8  p. 
m.  stood  from  six  to  fifteen  feet  deep  throughout  the  city, 
with  the  wind  blowing  slightly  over  a  hundred  miles  an 
hour.  The  highest  wind  velocity  by  the  anemometer  was 
ninety-six  miles  from  the  northeast  at  5  :15  p.  m.,  and  the 
extreme  velocity  was  a  hundred  miles  at  about  this  time. 
The  anemometer  blew  down  at  this  time  and  the  wind 
was  higher  later,  when  it  shifted  to  the  east  and  south- 
east, when  the  observer  estimates  that  it  blew  a  gale  of 
between  110  and  120  miles.  There  was  an  apparent  tidal 
wave  of  from  four  to  six  feet  about  8  p.  m.,  when  the 
wind  shifted  to  the  east  and  southeast  that  carried  off 
many  houses  which  had  stood  the  tide  up  to  that  time. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  STORM  IN  THE  STRICKEN  CITY. 

The  first  heard  of  the  storm  that  overwhelmed  the  city 
of  Galveston  was  in  the  central  south  of  the  island  of  San 
Domingo,  and  it  was  ten  days  reaching  Oklahomo.  The 
weather  bureau  says,  accompanying  the  official  weather 
map  of  the  hurricane  north,  that  it  would  have  struck  the 
Carolina  coast  and  passed  north  if  it  had  not  been  for  a 
"low"  area  over  Ohio,  including  the  part  of  West  Virginia 
next  Ohio,  and  the  southwest  corner  of  Pennsylvania.  In. 
other  and  official  terms,  "this  storm  was  a  deviation  from 
the  normal  which,  would  have  curved  backward."  If  it 
had  not  been  for  the  "deviation  from  the  normal,"  owing  to 
the  Ohio  depression,  Galveston  would  have  escaped.  The 
disturbance,  first  detected  September  1,  struck  Galveston 
September  8,  and  was  another  week  in  disappearing,  show- 
ing in  its  course  over  the  Great  Lakes  to  St.  Johns  de- 
structive energy. 

However,  there  are  differences  of  opinion  about  the 
origin  of  the  storm.  Dr.' J.  H.  Ery,  an  observer  of  the 
weather  for  fifteen  years,  has  a  theory  that  the  storm  which 
visited  Galveston  originated  in  the  vicinity  of  Port  Eads, 
and  was  not  the  hurricane  which  was  reported  on  the  Elor- 
ida  coast.  On  that  day  a  storm  was  reported  moving  in  a 
westerly  direction  from  Key  West.  It  moved  up  the  At- 
lantic coast.  The  Mallory  steamer  Comal  ran  into  it,  and 
reported  a  great  number  of  wrecks.  The  supposition  that 
this  was  the  same  storm  that  reached  Galveston  by  doubling 
bask  on  its  tracks,  he  thinks,  is  a  mistake.  The  first  knowl- 
edge of  the  Galvestod  storm  was  the  report  of  a  wind 

69 


70  STORM  IN  STRICKEN  CITY. 

velocity  of  forty-eight  miles  an  hour  at  Port  Eads  on  Satur* 
day  evening,  September  8,  and  the  full  fury  was  not  ex- 
pended at  Galveston  until  the  next  day.  High  winds  were 
also  reported  at  Pass  Christian.  The  Port  Eads  storm, 
Dr.  Fry  thinks,  was  a  distinct  storm  from  that  of  Florida, 
and  was  confined  to  the  gulf. 

There  are  two  theories  about  the  cause  of  the  center 
of  the  storm,  one  that  it  crossed  Florida  and  the  other  that 
after  crossing  Cuba,  through  the  province  of  Havana,  it 
did  not  touch  the  continent  until  reaching  Galveston. 

Soon  after  the  news  was  on  the  world  of  wires  that  the 
city  of  Galveston  was  suffering  severely  from  a  Gulf 
storm,  and  as  other  towns  reported  the  astounding  and 
desolating  force  of  the  gale,  Galveston  became  a  silent  city. 
No  communication  of  any  kind  being  received  for  a  long 
day  and  night,  the  most  authoritative  and  urgent  messages 
were  sent  as  far  as  the  wires  would  carry  them,  and  the 
tempest  was  crashing  through  the  cities  of  Texas,  north- 
ward bound.  But  the  city  built  on  the  sand  by  the  sea  was 
entirely  cut  off.  There  was  intense  anxiety,  and  the  mid- 
night watchers  heard  that  the  coastward  bridges  were  all 
gone  and  a  messenger  had  succeeded  in  crossing  the  bay  in 
a  schooner.  He  gave  out  a  story  that  seemed  beyond  belief 
and  exaggerated  out  of  the  resemblance  to  truth,  but  the 
true  tale  of  half  the  horrors  had  not  been  told.  When  the 
extent  of  the  disaster  was  approximately  known  it  was  cer- 
tain that  the  desolation  wrought  included  the  destruction 
of  thousands  of  lives  and  millions  of  property,  making  the 
disaster  one  of  the  most  awful  in  the  records  of  memorable 
calamities,  illustrating  the  appalling  forces  of  nature,  the 
tremendous  possibilities  of  the  atmosphere  that  is  the 
breath  of  life,  and  the  envelope  of  the  planet  we  inhabit. 


STORM  IN  STRICKEN  CITY.  71 

For  a  time,  as  the  hurricane  swept  northward,  there  was 
a  vast  area  filled  with  apprehension,  for  the  fact  that  Gal- 
veston  seemed  to  have  been  swallowed  by  the  Gulf  was 
carried  before  all  the  wires  were  swept  away,  and  the  gale 
as  it  advanced  extinguished  intelligence  of  its  own  progress, 
and  millions  awaited  the  worst  that  might  happen,  while 
the  stricken  could  at  best  only  themselves  obey  the  in- 
junction, "Peace,  be  still,"  for  there  was  nothing  to  do  for 
the  bravest  but  to  be  composed  and  wait.  This  dispatch 
gives  an  idea  of  the  deadly  work  of  the  hurricane  and  its 
horror  and  mystery : 

St.  Louis,  Mo.,  Sept.  9. — The  office  of  the  Western 
Union  Telegraph  Company  in  this  city  is  besieged  with 
thousands  of  inquiries  as  to  the  extent  and  result  of  the 
terrible  storm  that  cut  off  Galveston,  Texas,  from  commu- 
nication with  the  rest  of  the  world.  Rumors  of  the  most 
direful  nature  come  from  that  part  of  Texas,  some  of  them 
even  intimating  that  Galveston  has  been  entirely  wrecked 
and  that  the  bay  is  covered  with  the  dead  bodies  of  its  resi- 
dents. 

For  weeks  the  fate  of  the  young  men  was  not  known. 
It  is  remarkable  that  there  were  so  many  telegraphers 
missing,  but  it  is  a  part  of  their  training  of  duty  to  hold 
their  positions,  and  they  stay  where  their  work  is  done 
as  long  as  there  is  a  possibility  of  usefulness,  whether  as- 
sailed by  flood  or  fire. 

Mr.  Nixon,  superintendent  of  the  Gulf,  Colorado  and 
Santa  Fe  Railroad,  of  which  Galveston  is  a  terminal,  who 
was  in  Chicago  when  the  hurricane's  death-shade  swept  the 
south,  and  after  lie  heard  the  outline  facts  of  the  ruin 
wrought,  said : 

"The  first  vessel  to  leave  Galveston  after  the  storm  con- 


72  STORM  IN  STRICKEN  CITY. 

tained  a  delegation  to  inform  the  outside  world  of  the 
catastrophe  and  to  ask  for  help.  It  consisted  of  Lieuten- 
ants J.  J.  Delaney,  E.  G.  Cox,  E.  L.  Porch  and  two 
newspaper  correspondents.  Their  boat  was  the  steam 
yacht  Pherabe,  owned  by  Colonel  W.  L.  Moody,  and  the 
crew  was  made  up  of  volunteers,  Lawrence  V.  Elder,  su- 
perintendent of  the  Galveston  cotton  mills,  acting  as  engi- 
neer, and  all  hands  being  stokers.  The  trip  across  the  bay 
was  one  of  the  most  tempestuous  imaginable.  The  engineer 
declined  to  take  the  boat  any  further  than  Texas  City, 
declaring  that  she  could  not  live  in  such  a  sea." 

Mr.  Nixon's  telegrams  referred  mainly  to  the  havoc 
wrought  on  his  road.  These  contained  news  that  the  last 
passenger  train  left  Galveston  Saturday  morning  on  the 
Santa  Fe  system.  Since  then  traffic  had  been  entirely 
stopped.  Mr.  Nixon  was  greatly  worried  that  nothing  had 
been  heard  from  passenger  train  No.  5,  which  was  due  in 
Galveston  on  Saturday  night  at  9  o'clock.  It  was  last  re- 
ported at  a  small  station  forty  miles  north  on  the  main- 
land, and  nothing  had  been  heard  from  it.  He  thought  it 
possible  that  his  train  was  caught  by  the  hurricane  and 
was  wrecked,  either  on  the  mainland  near  the  gulf  or  on 
the  bridge. 

This  incident  strikingly  shows  the  startling  chances 
railroad  men  were  led  to  take  in  so  broad  a  sweep  of  over- 
whelming destruction.  Mr.  Nixon  said  while  waiting  for 
news  that  he  did  not  believe  that  the  business  portion  of 
the  city  suffered  much,  because  most  of  the  big  blocks  are 
new,  of  brick  and  stone,  and  of  the  most  modern  archi- 
tecture. 

"I  cannot  understand  that  no  more  accurate  news  has 
been  received  from  Galveston.  Even  if  all  the  railway 


STORM  IN  STRICKEN  CITY.  75 

and  telegraphic  communication  between  Galveston  Island 
and  the  mainland  has  been  interrupted,  we  have  a  cable 
under  the  bay  which  runs  to  Yera  Cruz  and  the  City  of 
Mexico.  There  should  be  no  difficulty  in  obtaining  a  full 
account  of  events." 

He  could  not  see  that  it  was  possible  the  disaster  was  so 
crushing.  The  gulf  cable  was  all  right,  but  the  house 
ashore  was  destroyed  and  the  city  wrecked  by  wind  and 
flooded.  Sunday  night  the  Chicago  Chronicle  had  this  in- 
telligible account  of  the  storm  that  gathered  on  the  deep 
and  its  characteristic  course  and  phenomena:  "Tele- 
graphic communication  with  Galveston,  Corpus  Christi, 
Palestine,  Fort  Worth  and  Amarilla,  the  five  other  obser- 
vation stations  in  the  storm-swept  section  of  the  State,  is 
out  of  question,  as  the  heavy  winds  have  leveled  the  wires 
and  played  havoc  with  telegraph  instruments.  The  wind 
at  Abilene  was  blowing  from  a  northwesterly  direction, 
while  the  breezes  swept  over  Vicksburg,  Miss.,  at  a  twenty- 
six  mile  rate.  This,  according  to  the  weather  observers, 
tends  to  prove  that  the  storm  center  has  moved  inland 
from  off  the  gulf  coast." 

All  that  could  be  said  Monday  morning  was  that  the 
storm  had  been  slowly  gathering  force  in  the  West  Indies 
for  several  days,  and  not  until  it  had  assumed  the  dignity 
of  a  veritable  West  Indian  hurricane  did  it  venture  north 
in  the  direction  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Its  course  had 
been  extraordinary  and,  in  light  of  past  events,  the 
weather  bureau  authorities  were  at  a  loss  to  account  for 
its  strange  behavior. 

Instead  of  sweeping  across  the  Caribbean  Sea  and  into 
the  coast  of  Florida,  then  taking  its  course  up  the  Atlantic 
coast,  as  all  its  predecessors  have  done,  the  hurricane  cut 


76  STORM  IN  STRICKEN  CITY.  1 

out  a  path  for  itself.  It  did  not  swing  off  the  Florida 
coast  on  its  way  to  the  northeast,  but  drove  directly  across 
the  full  length  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  striking  with  full 
force  the  coast  of  Texas. 

The  great  majority  of  the  tropical  storms  in  the  past 
have  struck  the  Florida  coast  and  then  lost  themselves  in 
the  Atlantic  Ocean;  others  have  kept  their  course  on  up 
the  coast,  but  the  present  storm  did  not  follow  the  beaten 
paths. 

The  force  of  the  hurricane  was  abating,  however.  The 
weather  authorities  believed  that  its  strength  was  spent 
and  that  within  the  next  day  or  so  reports  would  begin  to 
come  in  over  the  repaired  telegraph  wires.  The  direction 
and  mildness  of  the  winds  at  places  near  to  the  path  of  the 
storm  indicated  that  the  worst  was  over  and  that  the  hur- 
ricane was  losing  intensity. 

Richard  Spillane,  a  well-known  newspaper  man  of  Gal- 
veston,  reached  Houston  September  10,  after  terrible  ex- 
periences, and  gave  this  account  of  the  Galveston  dis- 
aster : 

"One  of  the  most  awful  tragedies  of  modern  times  has 
visited  Galveston.  The  city  is  in  ruins,  and  the  dead  will 
number  probably  10,000.  I  am  just  from  the  city,  having 
been  commissioned  by  the  Mayor  and  citizens'  commit- 
tee to  get  in  touch  with  the  outside  world  and  appeal  for 
help.  Houston  was  the  nearest  point  at  which  working 
telegraph  instruments  could  be  found,  the  wires,  as  well 
as  nearly  all  the  buildings  between  here  and  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico,  being  wrecked.  When  I  left  Galveston,  shortly 
before  noon  yesterday,  the  people  were  organizing  for  the 
prompt  burial  of  the  dead,  distribution  of  food,  and  all 
necessary  work  after  a  period  of  disaster. 


STORM  IN  STRICKEN  CITY.  77 

"The  wreck  of  Galveston  was  brought  about  by  a  tem- 
pest so  terrible  that  no  words  can  adequately  describe  its 
intensity,  and  by  a  flood  which  turned  the  city  into  a 
raging  sea.  The  weather-bureau  records  show  that  the 
wind  attained  a  velocity  of  eighty-four  miles  an  hour, 
when  the  measuring  instruments  blew  away,  so  it  is  impos- 
sible to  tell  what  was  the  maximum. 

"The  storm  began  at  2  o'clock  Saturday  morning.  Pre- 
vious to  that  a  great  storm  had  been  raging  in  the  gulf  and 
the  tide  was  very  high.  The  wind  at  first  came  from  the 
north,  and  was  in  direct  opposition  to  the  force  from  the 
gulf.  While  the  storm  in  the  gulf  piled  the  water  upon 
the  beach  side  of  the  city,  the  north  wind  piled  the  water 
from  the  bay  on  to  the  bay  part  of  the  city. 

"About  noon  it  became  evident  that  the  city  was  going 
to  be  visited  with  disaster.  Hundreds  of  residences  along 
the  beach  front  were  hurriedly  abandoned,  the  families 
fleeing  to  dwellings  in  higher  portions  of  the  city.  Every 
home  was  opened  to  the  refugees,  black  or  white.  The 
winds  were  rising  constantly  and  it  rained  torrents.  The 
wind  was  so  fierce  that  the  rain  cut  like  a  knife. 

"By  3  o'clock  the  waters  of  the  gulf  and  bay  met,  and 
by  dark  the  entire  city  was  submerged.  The  flooding  of 
the  electric-light  plant  and  the  gas  plants  left  the  city  in 
darkness.  To  go  into  the  streets  was  to  court  death.  The 
wind  was  then  at  cyclonic  velocity,  roofs,  cisterns,  por- 
tions of  buildings,  telegraph  poles  and  walls  were  falling 
and  the  noise  of  the  winds  and  the  crashing  of  the  build- 
ings was  terrifying  in  the  extreme.  The  wind  and  waters 
rose  steadily  from  dark  until  1 :45  o'clock  Sunday  morn- 
ing. During  all  this  time  the  people  of  Galveston  were 
like  rats  in  traps.  The  highest  portion  of  the  city  was 


78  STORM  IN  STRICKEN  CITY. 

four  to  five  feet  under  water,  while  in  the  great  majority 
of  cases  the  streets  were  submerged  to  a  depth  of  ten  feet. 
To  leave  a  house  was  to  drown.  To  remain  was  to  court 
death  in  the  wreckage. 

"Such  a  night  of  agony  has  seldom  been  equaled.  With- 
out apparent  reason  the  waters  suddenly  began  to  subside 
at  1 :45  a.  m.  Within  twenty  minutes  they  had  gone  down 
two  feet,  and  before  daylight  the  streets  were  practically 
freed  of  the  flood  waters.  In  the  meantime  the  wind  had 
veered  to  the  southeast.  Very  few,  if  any,  buildings  es- 
caped injury.  There  is  hardly  a  habitable  dry  house  in 
the  city.  WJien  the  people  who  had  escaped  death  went 
out  at  daylight  to  view  the  work  of  the  tempest  and  the 
floods  they  saw  the  most  horrible  sights  imaginable.  In 
the  three  blocks  from  Avenue  1ST  to  Avenue  P,  in  Tremont 
street,  I  saw  eight  bodies.  Four  corpses  were  in  one  yard. 
The  whole  of  the  business  front  for  three  blocks  in  from 
the  gulf  was  stripped  of  every  vestige  of  habitation,  the 
dwellings,  the  great  bathing  establishments,  the  Olympia 
and  every  structure  having  been  either  carried  out  to  sea 
or  its  ruins  piled  in  a  pyramid  far  into  the  town,  accord- 
ing to  the  vagaries  of  the  tempest." 

An  Associated  Press  dispatch  of  September  10  said: 
The  city  of  Galveston  is  wrapped  in  sackcloth  and  ashes. 
She  sits  beside  her  unnumbered  dead  and  refuses  to  be 
comforted.  Her  sorrow  and  suffering  are  beyond  descrip- 
tion. Her  grief  is  unspeakable. 

Friday  and  Saturday,  happy,  buoyant  with  a  bright 
and  prosperous  season  opening  auspiciously;  last  night 
stricken  down  and  crushed  by  a  misfortune  that  seldom 
befalls  any  community  and  her  inexpressible  anguish  ap- 
peals for  help  to  bury  her  beloved  dead,  feed  her  stricken 


STORM  IN  STRICKEN  CITY.  81 

and  hungry  and  afford  temporary  relief  for  those  who, 
almost  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  lost  homes,  loved  ones 
and  the  savings  of  a  lifetime. 

The  city  is  dark,  desolate  and  dreary.  A  pall  has  fallen 
over  the  living.  They  meet,  clasp  hands  tearfully,  gaze 
into  each  other's  eyes  and  pass  on.  It  is  pitiful  and  pa- 
thetic beyond  expression. 

The  terrific  cyclone  that  produced  such  a  distressing 
disaster  was  predicted  hy  the  United  States  Weather  Bu- 
reau to  strike  Oalveston  Friday  night  and  created  much 
apprehension,  but  the  night  passed  without  the  prediction 
being  verified.  The  conditions,  however,  were  ominous, 
the  danger  signal  was  displayed  on  the  flagstaff  of  the 
weather  bureau,  and  shipping  was  warned.  The  south- 
eastern sky  was  somber,  the  gulf,  beat  high  on  the  beach 
with  that  dismal  thunder  roar  that  pr-esages  trouble,  while 
the  air  had  that  stillness  that  betokens  a  storm.  From  out 
the  north,  in  the  middle  watches  of  the  night,  the  wind  be- 
gan to  come  in  spiteful  puffs,  fitful  at  first,  but  increased 
in  volume  as -the  day  dawned.  By  10  o'clock  Saturday 
morning  it  was  almost  a  gale ;  at  noon  it  had  increased  in 
velocity  and  was  driving  the  rain,  whipping  the  pools  and 
tearing  things  up  in  a  lively  manner,  yet  no  serious  ap- 
prehension was  felt  by  residents  remote  from  the  encroach- 
ments of  the  gulf.  Residents  near  the  beach  were  aroused 
to  the  danger  that  threatened  their  homes.  Stupendous 
waves  began  to  send  their  waters  far  inland,  and  the  peo- 
ple began  a  hasty  exit  to  secure  places  in  the  city.  Two 
gigantic  forces  were  at  work. 

The  gulf  force  dro^e  the  waves  high  upon  the  beach  and 
the  gale  from  the  northeast  pitched  the  waters  against  and 
over  the  wharves,  choking  the  sewers  and  flooding  the  city 


*2  STORM  IN  STRICKEN  CITY. 

from  that  quarter.  The  streets  rapidly  began  to  fill  with 
water;  communication  became  difficult  and  the  helpless 
people  were  caught  between  two  powerful  elements,  while 
the  winds  howled  and  rapidly  increased  in  velocity. 

Business  suddenly  came  to  a  standstill,  car  traffic  was 
impossible  and  all  those  that  had  homes  and  could  reach 
them,  either  by  conveyance  or  otherwise,  hastily  left  their 
places  of  business  and  offered  fabulous  prices  for  any 
kind  of  a  vehicle  that  would  carry  them  to  their  loved 
ones.  Railroad  communication  was  cut  off  soon  after 
noon,  the  track  being  washed  out;  wire  facilities  com- 
pletely failed  at  3  o'clock  and  Galveston  was  isolated 
from  the  world.  The  wind  momentarily  increased  in  ve- 
locity, while  the  waters  rapidly  rose  and  the  night  drew 
on  with  dreaded  apprehension  depicted  in  the  face  of 
every  one.  Already  hundreds  and  thousands  were  bravely 
struggling  with  their  families  against  the  mad  waves  and 
fierce  winds  for  places  of  refuge. 

The  public  school  buildings,  court  house,  hotels,  in  fact, 
any  place  that  offered  apparently  a  safe  refuge  from  the 
elements,  became  crowded  to  their  utmost.  Darkness  set- 
tled on  the  city  like  a  pall,  while  the  wind  shrieked  with 
frightful  velocity  and  the  rain  fell  in  torrents.  Two  min- 
utes of  6 :30  p.  m.,  just  before  the  anemometer  blew  away, 
the  gale  had  reached  the  frightful  velocity  of  100  miles 
an  hour.  Buildings  that  had  hitherto  stood,  tumbled  and 
crashed,  carrying  death  and  destruction  to  hundreds. 
Roofs  whistled  through  the  air,  windows  were  driven  in 
with  a  crash  or  shattered  by  flying  slate.  Telegraph,  tele- 
phone and  electric-light  poles,  with  their  masses  of  wires, 
were  snapped  off  like  pipe  stems.  The  streets  became  a 


STORM  IN  STRICKEN  CITY.  83 

mass  of  wires;  water  communications  were  broken,  mak- 
ing water  and  food  impossible  to  obtain. 

What  velocity  the  wind  attained  after  the  anemometer 
blew  off  is  purely  a  matter  of  speculation.  The  heavy  de- 
tonation of  falling  buildings  and  the  piercing  cries  for 
help  broke  the  air  and  the  roar  of  the  elements.  Dead 
bodies  floated  in  the  streets.  All  this  made  a  night  that 
will  never  be  obliterated  from  the  memories  of  the 
searchers. 

The  lowest  point  touched  by  the  barometer  in  the  press 
correspondent's  office,  which  was  filled  with  frightened 
men  and  women,  was  28.04^.  This  was  about  7 :30  p.  m. 
It  then  began  to  rise  very  slowly  and  by  10  p.  m.  had 
reached  28.09,  the  wind  gradually  subsiding,  and  by  mid- 
night the  storm  had  passed. 

The  water,  which  had  reached  a  depth  of  eight  feet  on 
the  Strand  at  10  o'clock  p.  m.,  began  to  ebb  and  ran  out 
very  rapidly,  and  by  5  a.  m.  the  crown  of  the  street  was 
free  of  water.  Thus  passed  the  most  frightful  and  de- 
structive storm  which  ever  devastated  the  coast  of  Texas 
in  the  memory  of  man. 

The  city  was  filled  at  night  with  bereft,  destitute  and 
homeless,  while  a  visit  to  the  temporary  morgue  shows, 
by  the  fitful  glare  of  lanterns  and  candles,  stretched  rigid 
in  death,  hundreds  of  all  ages,  nationalities  and  condi- 
tions. Whole  families  are  side  by  side,  from  the  father 
and  mother  to  the  innocent  babe.  Men  on  the  verge  of 
despair  are  searching  for  their  loved  ones  amid  the  slime 
and  waters  in  the  streets,  in  alleys,  by-ways  and  under 
the  debris  of  their  recently  happy  homes.  Mothers, 
daughters  and  sons  are  also  engaged  in  the  grewsome 
search  for  3ost  dear  ones,  while  others  are  bordering  on  the 


84  STORM  IN  STRICKEN  CITY. 

verge  of  insanity  over  the  appalling  bereavement  that  has 
suddenly  come  upon  them. 

Samuel  A.  JSTolley,  telegraph  operator,  despite  all  his 
efforts  to  save  them,  lost  his  wife  and  three  children  and 
does  not  know  where  their  bodies  are.  When  speaking  of 
the  matter  he  trembled  like  an  aspen  leaf.  Leon  J.  Lackey 
is  another  telegraph  operator  whose  wife  and  two  children 
and  two  sisters  are  lying  in  the  morgue  to-night.  The  only 
member  remaining  of  the  family  is  Eva  Lackey,  who  was 
saved  by  remaining  in  the  telegraph  building. 

Captain  Peete's  house  was  crushed  in  by  another  fall- 
ing upon  it,  and  he  lost  his  wife  and  six  children. 

Jesse  W.  Toothacker,  contractor  and  builder,  lost  wife 
and  daughter. 

Joe  B.  Aguillo,  chairman  of  the  County  Democratic 
Executive  Committee,  with  two  children,  was  drowned. 

Richard  M.  Peck,  city  engineer,  drowned  in  an  effort 
to  save  his  family. 

And  so  the  list  could  be  continued.  The  city  beach  in 
the  southwestern  part  of  the  city  was  under  ten  feet  of 
water,  and  the  barracks,  located  there,  are  destroyed,  the 
soldiers  having  a  miraculous  escape  from  drowning. 
Many  substantial  residences  in  the  western  and  south- 
western part  of  the  city  were  destroyed,  and  the  death  list 
there  large.  A  heavy  mortality  list  was  reported  among 
residents  down  the  island  and  adjacent  to  the  coast  on  the 
mainland,  as  both  were  deeply  flooded  and  the  houses  were 
to  a  great  extent  insecure. 

The  heaviest  losers  by  the  storm  will  be  the  Galveston 
Wharf  Company,  the  Southern  Pacific  Railway  and  Gulf, 
Colorado  and  Santa  Fe  Railway  Company,  and  the  Texas 
Lone  Star  Flouring  Company.  It  will  be  days  before 


STORM  IN  STRICKEN  CITY.  85 

anything  like  an  approximation  of  the  loss  of  life  and 
property  can  be  had.  The  loss  in  the  first  will  be  frightful 
and  the  second  enormous. 

On  September  11  news  from  the  same  source  was :  The 
telegraph  offices  are  in  a  plight.  The  wires  were  down  in 
every  direction  Sunday  morning.  There  was  only  one 
wire  out  of  Houston  Saturday  night,  and  that  was  in  use 
by  the  Associated  Press.  It  went  down  at  2 :30  o'clock. 

Gangs  of  men  were  put  out  by  both  the  Postal  and 
the  Western  Union  Sunday  afternoon,  and  the  two  com- 
panies now  have  a  force  of  fully  400  men  at  work  straight- 
ening up  poles  and  stringing  wires.  Sunday  night  the 
Western  Union  had  three  wires  out  by  way  of  Dallas  and 
St.  Louis.  Ten  thousand  people  tried  to  get  telegrams  out 
to  Galveston,  and  expressed  themselves  in  various  ways 
when  they  found  they  could  not.  Monday  night  the  con- 
ditions had  improved  as  to  wires,  and  both  companies 
could  move  business  north  and  west,  but  not  east  or  south. 
A  number  of  Galveston  newspaper  men  came  up  here  on 
a  tug  in  the  morning,  and  each  of  them  had  from  twenty 
to  200  messages  in  his  pockets  from  people  in  Galveston 
to  those  on  the  outside.  Later  a  tug  came  up,  and  this 
brought  more  than  2,000  messages.  It  looked  as  if  half 
the  United  States  were  trying  to  send  messages  into  Hous- 
ton, and  as  quick  as  a  wire  was  reported  in  shape  it  was 
"quaded,"  and  men  were  put  to  work  getting  messages  out 
and  receiving  them. 

The  correspondents  of  outside  newspapers  were  piling 
matter  up  and  at  midnight  the  Postal  refused  to  receive 
any  more  "special."  The  Western  Union  continued  to 
handle  them,  subject  to  delay.  At  4  o'clock  this  morning 
seme  of  them  were  still  hanging  on  the  hooks. 


86  STORM  IN  STRICKEN  CITY. 

At  both  offices  extra  clerks  have  been  put  on  until  there 
is  no  room  for  them  to  work  more.  The  messages  continue 
to  pile  up  and  some  correspondents  are  already  filing  mat- 
ter to  be  got  out  to-night.  The  wires  are  being  put  into 
position  with  remarkable  quickness  and  it  is  probable  that 
"specials"  will  be  handled  out  to-night  with  greater  ease. 

Every  person  arriving  from  Galveston  brings  messages 
to  friends  and  relatives  from  those  unable  to  get  away. 
Some  of  the  messages  are  glad  tidings,  for  they  tell  that 
the  senders  are  alive,  but  many  of  them  tell  of  death. 

The  official  news  came  slowly  and  more  than  confirmed 
the  wildest  and  most  alarming  first  dispatches.  Professor 
Willis  Moore,  chief  of  the  weather  bureau,  said  Septem- 
ber 10  that  the  West  Indies  storm  which  developed  into  a 
hurricane  after  reaching  the  United  States  was  central  in 
Oklahoma  on  that  day  and  was  rapidly  losing  its  destruc- 
tive character,  the  wind  at  Oklahoma  City  being  reported 
as  blowing  at  thirty  miles  an  hour.  It  probably  will  pass 
into  history  as  one  of  the  most  disastrous  as  well  as  pe- 
culiar storms  on  record. 

On  the  same  day  Chief  Moore  received  the  following 
telegram  from  G.  L.  Vaughan,  manager  of  the  Western 
Union  Telegraph  Company  at  Houston,  Tex. : 

First  news  from  Galveston  just  received  by  train,  which 
could  get  no  closer  to  the  bay  shore  than  six  miles,  where 
prairie  was  strewn  with  debris  and  dead  bodies.  About 
200  corpses  counted  from  train.  Large  steamer  stranded 
two  miles  inland.  Nothing  could  be  seen  of  Galveston. 
Loss  of  life  and  property  undoubtedly  most  appalling. 
Weather  clear  and  bright  here,  with  gentle  southeast 
winds.  G.  L.  VAUGHAN. 


STORM  IN  STRICKEN  CITY.  87 

"I  fear,"  said  Chief  Moore,  "that  we  have  not  yet  begun 
to  get  any  idea  of  the  loss  of  life,  not  only  at  Galveston, 
but  along  the  gulf  coast  generally." 

The  first  loss  of  life  reported  at  Galveston  was  that  at 
Rietter's  restaurant,  on  the  Strand,  where  three  of  the 
most  prominent  citizens  of  the  town  lost  their  lives  and 
where  many  others  were  maimed  and  imprisoned.  The 
dead  were  Stanley  G.  Spencer,  Charles  Kellner  and  Eich- 
ard  Lord.  These  three  were  sitting  at  a  table  on  the  first 
floor,  making  light  of  the  danger,  jocularly  telling  each 
other  that  they  would  stay  in  the  city.  Suddenly  the  roof 
caved  in  above  them  and  came  down  with  a  crash  into  the 
saloon,  killing  all  of  them.  Those  in  the  lower  part  of  the 
building  escaped  with  their  lives  in  a  miraculous  manner. 
The  falling  roof  and  flooring  were  caught  on  the  bar,  the 
people  standing  near  it  dodging  and  resting  under  the 
debris.  It  required  several  hours  of  hard  work  to  get  them 
out.  The  negro  waiter,  who  was  sent  for  a  doctor,  was 
drowned  at  the  corner  of  Strand  and  Twenty-first  street 
and  his  body  was  found  a  short  time  after. 

On  Avenue  M  several  women  were  imprisoned  in  a  resi- 
dence by  the  water  and  debris.  They  were  rescued  by  a 
party  headed  by  Captain  M.  Theriot.  Several  of  them 
were  badly  hurt,  but  they  are  still  living. 

Coming  back  to  Tremont  street,  and  going  out  to  Ave- 
nue P  by  climbing  over  the  piles  of  lumber  which  had 
once  been  residences,  four  bodies  were  observed  in  one 
yard  and  seven  in  one  room  in  another  place,  while  as 
many  as  sixty  bodies  were  to  be  seen  lying  singly  and  in 
groups  in  the  space  of  one  block. 

Notable  among  the  sufferers  was  Pat  O'Keefe,  who  has 
for  years  kept  a  popular  resort  on  the  beach,  and  who  is 


88  STORM  IN  STRICKEN  CITY. 

known  to  every  visitor  to  Galveston.  As  the  old  man 
came  trudging  along  he  was  bemoaning  the  loss  of  his  wife 
and  everything  he  had  on  earth.  Where  his  resort  stood 
on  the  beach  facing  the  gulf  there  is  not  a  vestige  of 
building  to  be  seen.  The  great  bathing  pavilion  known  as 
the  Pagoda,  the  big  pleasure  resort  known  as  the  Olympia, 
and  Murdoch's  bathhouse  are  all  swept  away  into  the 
gulf.  There  were  few  bodies  on  the  beach.  They  had  been 
swept  into  the  gulf  or  driven  up  into  the  rubbish  by  the 
waves.  Only  half  a  dozen  of  them  were  in  sight  from 
the  site  where  the  workers  were. 

The  rain  began  to  pour  down  in  torrents  and  the  party 
went  back  down  Tremont  street  toward  the  city.  The  mis- 
ery of  the  poor  people,  all  mangled  and  hurt,  pressing  to 
the  city  for  medical  attention  was  greatly  augmented  by 
this  rain.  Stopping  at  a  small  grocery  store  to  avoid  the 
rain,  the  party  found  it  packed  with  injured.  The  provis- 
ions in  the  store  had  been  ruined  and  there  was  nothing  for 
the  numerous  customers  who  came  hungry  and  tired. 
The  place  was  a  hospital,  no  longer  a  store. 

Farther  down  the  street  a  restaurant,  which  had  been 
submerged  by  water,  was  serving  out  soggy  crackers  and 
cheese  to  the  hungry  crowd.  That  was  all  that  was  left. 
They  were  soaked  full  of  water  and  the  people  who  were 
fortunate  enough  to  get  those  sandwiches  were  hungry  and 
made  no  complaint. 

At  11 :30  Sunday  morning  the  water  had  receded  from 
the  higher  portions  of  the  city,  but  the  streets  near  the  bay 
front  still  contained  from  two  and  one-half  to  three  feet 
of  water.  The  station  building  had  been  selected  as  a 
place  of  refuge  by  a  large  number  of  people.  All  win- 
dows in  the  building  and  a  portion  of  the  wall  at  the  top 


STORM  IN  STRICKEN  CITY.  89 

were  blown  in  and  the  occupants  expected  every  moment 
to  be  their  last.  But  escape  was  impossible,  for  about  the 
building  the  water  must  have  been  fully  twelve  feet  deep. 
A  couple  of  small  shanties  were  floating  about,  but  there 
was  no  means  of  making  a  raft  or  getting  a  boat. 

So  far  as  can  be  learned  up  to  10  o'clock  on  the  night 
of  September  11,  approximately  800  bodies  had  been 
picked  up  in  what  can  properly  be  termed  the  Galveston 
storm  belt.  Seven  hundred  of  these  bodies  were  gathered 
up  by  railroad  relief  forces  operating  along  the  coast  for  a 
distance  of  about  twenty  miles  above  and  below  Virginia 
Point.  These  bodies  were  reported  divided  between  Alvin, 
Texas  City,  Seabrook,  Dickinson,  Virginia  Point,  Hitch- 
cock and  on  up  toward  Houston.  Bulletins  received  in 
Dallas  railroad  headquarters  stated  that  advance  workers 
of  relief  parties  penetrated  across  the  bay  to  Galveston 
Island  and  sent  couriers  back  to  the  mainland. 

These  couriers  reported  that  sixty  dead  bodies  were 
found  in  one  block  on  Tremont  street  and  that  600  corpses 
were  at  one  place  in  the  city  and  400  in  another.  They 
stated  that  the  situation  in  Galveston  as  far  as  they  had 
been  able  to  go  was  terrible  beyond  description.  The 
town  appeared  to  be  one  vast  pile  of  wreckage,  except  in 
isolated  spots,  where  morgues  and  hospitals  were  impro- 
vised. Many  of  the  persons  who  were  injured  in  the  hur- 
ricane were  dying  for  lack  of  care  and  for  want  of  fresh 
water.  They  stated  that  fresh  water  and  medicines  were 
needed  at  once  or  the  survivors  of  the  storm  would  perish. 

The  statement  was  also  made  that  there  was  little  food 
fit  to  eat,  that  everything  was  soaked  with  salt  sea  water 
and  that  starvation  threatened  the  storm  victims  who  were 
fortunate  enough  to  escape  alive.  There  was  also  danger 


90  STORM  IN  STRICKEN  CITY. 

of  looting,  and  Adjutant-General  Scurry,  who  arrived  on 
the  island  by  boat  from  Houston,  called  on  the  militia 
companies  of  the  state  for  men  to  do  patrol  duty.  It  was 
understood  that  the  island  was  to  be  placed  under  martial 
law  temporarily  until  order  could  be  brought  out  of  chaos. 

The  situation  in  Galveston  September  12.  was  that  all 
attempts  at  burying  the  dead  had  been  abandoned  and 
bodies  were  being  disposed  of  in  the  swiftest  manner  pos- 
sible. Scores  of  them  were  burned  and  hundreds  were 
taken  out  to  sea  and  thrown  overboard.  The  safety  of  the 
living  was  the  paramount  question  and  nothing  that  would 
tend  to  prevent  an  outbreak  of  an  awful  pestilence  was 
being  neglected.  It  was  found  that  large  numbers  of  the 
bodies  which  had  been  previously  thrown  into  the  bay  were 
washed  back  upon  the  shore  and  the  situation  was  thus 
rendered  worse  than  before  they  were  first  taken  in  the 
barges  and  thrown  into  the  water.  It  will  never  be  known 
how  many  lost  their  lives. 

Efforts  were  made  to  pick  up  the  dead  bodies  that  floated 
in  with  the  tide,  having  once  been  cast  into  the  sea.  This 
was  awful  work,  and  few  men  were  found  with  sufficient- 
ly strong  nerves  to  last  at  it  more  than  thirty  minutes  at  a 
time. 

All  of  the  bodies  were  badly  decomposed,  swollen  to 
enormous  proportions,  and  of  so  dark  a  hue  that  it  was 
impossible  to  tell  except  by  the  hair,  when  any  hair  was 
visible,  whether  the  corpses  were  those  of  white  people  or 
of  negroes. 

Determined  efforts  by  local  authorities  and  military 
were  bringing  about  a  semblance  of  order,  although  the 
situation  continued  most  discouraging.  The  work  of  dis- 
posing of  the  dead  progressed  slowly,  even  with  every 


STORM  IN  STRICKEN  CITY.  91 

available  man  and  horse  engaged  in  hauling  the  bodies  to 
the  gulf. 

Mayor  Jones  repeated  his  assertion  that  the  number  of 
victims  would  reach  5,000,  and  many  estimates  were  as 
high  as  10,000. 

It  was  learned  that  of  seventy  telegraph  operators  em- 
ployed by  both  companies  in  the  city  only  three  escaped 
death  in  the  flood. 

The  stench  from  the  decomposing  human  corpses  and 
carcasses  of  animals,  as  well  as  from  the  slime  and  filth 
left  in  the  streets  by  the  receding  waters,  made  the  work 
among  the  dead  a  fearful  task.  The  men  handling  the 
bodies  were  .changed  every  few  hours,  and  many  were 
overcome  while  engaged  in  the  grewsome  task. 

The  poisoned  air  reaped  a  harvest  of  death,  scores  of 
those  injured  or  made  sick  by  the  effects  of  the  storm  suc- 
cumbing as  a  result.  Every  effort  was  made  to  get  the 
women  and  children  away  from  the  town  before  a  general 
epidemic  should  break  out. 

Boat  loads  of  lime  and  other  disinfectants  were  brought 
in  and  used  where  most  needed.  The  lack  of  horses  was 
a  serious  feature  of  the  situation,  as  better  progress  could 
have  been  made  in  carting  off  the  dead  had  more  animals 
to  draw  carts  been  available. 

All  attempts  to  identify  the  dead  were  abandoned.  The 
majority  of  the  bodies  were  decomposed  beyond  recogni- 
tion, so,  except  when  some  article  in  the  pockets  gave  the 
name,  the  body  was  thrown  into  the  gulf  unrecorded. 

Fifty  men  caught  robbing  the  dead  were  killed.  It 
was  believed  summary  execution  would  put  a  stop  to  the 
practice.  The  robbers  had  become  bold,  cutting  off  the 


92  STORM  IN  STRICKEN  CITY. 

fingers  and  ears  of  the  dead  women  to  obtain  jewels.  One 
man  arrested  had  in  his  pockets  twenty-three  fingers 
hacked  from  bodies,  on  each  of  which  was  a  valuable  ring. 

A  special  session  of  the  Legislature  was  asked  to  pro- 
vide funds  for  the  destitute.  Contributions  were  coming 
in  rapidly,  it  being  reported  that  over  $100,000  already 
was  in  the  hands  of  the  committees. 

Quartermaster  Baxter's  report  to  headquarters  at 
Washington  advised  the  abandoning  of  all  government 
works  at  Galveston.  He  said,  in  his  opinion,  Galveston 
was  destroyed  beyond  its  ability  to  recover.  This  did  not 
dishearten  local  business  men,  however,  for  they  declared 
the  city  will  be  rebuilt  in  spite  of  its  losses. 

The  sightseers  and  those  who  did  not  come  to  help  were 
refused  admittance  to  Galveston,  as  there  already  were  too 
many  persons  there  for  the  meager  supply  of  food,  and 
half  of  those  in  the  city  were  shelterless.  The  water  sup- 
ply had  not  been  restored. 

A  new  census  was  suggested  as  a  means  of  learning  the 
actual  loss  in  life  and  property.  In  no  other  way  can  any- 
thing like  an  accurate  estimate  of  the  casualties  be  made. 

Relief  committees  from  the  interior  of  the  State  com- 
menced to  arrive,  and  as  usual  they  were  much  too  large 
in  numbers  and,  to  a  certain  extent,  in  the  way  of  the  peo- 
ple of  Galveston  and  an  impediment  to  the  prompt  relief 
which  they  themselves  were  so  desirous  of  offering.  Some 
of  the  relief  expeditions  had  committees  large  enough  to 
consume  10  per  cent  of  the  provisions  which  they  brought. 
The  relief  sent  from  Beaumont,  Tex.,  arrived  on  the  12th 
and  was  distributed  as  fast  as  possible.  It  consisted  of 
two  carloads  of  ice  and  provisions,  and  came  by  way  of 
Port  Arthur.  The  great  trouble  seemed  to  be  that  those 


STORM  IN  STRICKEN  CITY.  93 

people  who  were  in  greatest  need,  through  no  fault  of 
those  in  charge  of  the  distribution,  were  the  last  to  receive 
the  aid.  Many  of  them  were  so  badly  maimed  and 
wounded  that  they  were  unable  to  apply  to  the  relief  com- 
mittees, and  the  committees  were  so  overwhelmed  by  di- 
rect applications  that  they  were  unable  to  send  out  mes- 
sengers. 

The  wounded  everywhere  needed  the  attention  of 
physicians,  and  despite  every  effort  it  was  feared  a  number 
would  die  because  of  the  sheer  physical  impossibility  to 
afford  them  the  aid  necessary  to  save  their  lives.  Every 
man  in  Galveston  able  to  walk  and  work  was  engaged  in 
the  work  of  relief  with  all  the  energy  of  which  he  was  capa- 
ble. But,  despite  their  utmost  endeavors,  they  could  not 
keep  up  with  the  increase  of  the  miserable  conditions 
which  surrounded  them.  Water  could  be  obtained  by  able- 
bodied  men,  but  with  great  difficulty.  Dr.  Wallace  Shaw, 
of  Houston,  who  was  busily  engaged  in  the  relief  work, 
said  there  were  200  people  at  St.  Mary's  Infirmary  with- 
out water.  They  had  been  making  coffee  of  salt  water 
and  using  that  as  their  only  beverage. 

Sharp  and  painful  contrasts  in  human  nature  were 
brought  out  by  the  duties  which  devolved  upon  stricken 
Galveston.  John  Sealy,  of  Hutchings,  Sealy  &  Co.,  is  the 
richest  young  man  in  the  South.  Safford  Wheeler  is  his 
associate,  a  clubman,  and  a  favorite  in  society.  These  two 
men  were  among  those  who  put  lime  and  other  disinfect- 
ants upon  themselves,  went  into  the  morgue,  and  worked 
for  hours  in  the  most  dangerous  task  of  all — the  handling 
of  the  corpses.  It  was  work  from  which  the  stoutest  hearted 
shrank.  These  young  men  volunteered  for  it. 

The  people  of  Galveston  as  a  whole  dealt  heroically 


94  STOBM  IN  STRICKEN  CITY. 

with  their  great  emergency.  Exceptions  were  not  made. 
Some  exercise  of  force  was  deemed  necessary  in  the  hours 
of  confusion  which  followed  the  awakening.  The  city  has 
a  considerable  element  of  negroes.  When  the  citizens  or- 
ganized for  the  burial  of  the  dead  some  of  the  negroes  held 
back  and  refused  to  help.  "We  want  you,"  a  white  man 
said  to  a  negro.  "I  don't  have  to  work,"  was  the  reply. 
A  shot  rang  out.  A  little  later  the  lesson  was  repeated. 
After  that  everybody,  when  called  upon,  took  up  the  duty 
assigned  to  him. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  relief  committee  reports  were  re- 
ceived from  the  various  wards.  The  chairman  called  for 
armed  men  to  assist  in  getting  labor  to  bury  the  dead  and 
clear  the  wreckage,  and  arrangements  were  made  to  supply 
this  demand.  There  were  plenty  of  volunteers  for  this 
service,  but  an  insufficiency  of  arms.  The  committee  re- 
jected a  proposition  of  trying  to  pay  for  work,  letting 
the  laborers  secure  their  own  rations.  It  was  decided  to 
go  ahead  impressing  men  into  service,  if  necessary,  issuing 
orders  for  rations  only  to  those  who  worked  or  were  unable 
to  work. 

People  told  of  getting  out  of  their  houses  just  in  the  nick 
of  time.  They  told  of  seeing  people  struck  by  flying  tim- 
bers and  crushed  to  death  before  their  eyes.  One  man 
was  cut  off  from  the  members  of  his  family  just  as  he 
thought  he  had  them  rescued,  and  saw  them  sink  beneath 
the  water  on  the  other  side  of  a  barrier.  He  turned  in 
and  helped  to  rescue  others  who  were  in  peril.  One  woman 
carried  her  five  months'  old  babe  in  her  arms  from  her 
house  only  to  see  a  beam  strike  the  child  on  the  head,  kill- 
ing it  instantly.  She  suffered  a  broken  leg  and  bruised 
body.  Eighteen  persons  were  caught  in  the  Grothger  gro- 


STORM  IN  STRICKEN  CITY.  95 

eery  store,  and  it  is  presumed  that  all  were  lost,  as  many 
have  been  reported  dead  who  were  known  to  have  been  in 
the  building,  which  was  swept  away  entirely.  The  fire- 
men buried  eight  persons  south  of  Avenue  O.  The  graves 
were  marked  with  pieces  of  garments  worn  by  the  persons. 

Will  Love,  a  printer  on  the  Houston  Post,  who  formerly 
lived  in  Galveston,  swam  the  bay  on  Monday  to  reach  his 
family,  whom  he  found  to  be  alive  in  Galveston.  He 
swam  from  pier  to  pier  on  the  railroad  bridges  and  at  each 
he  rested. 

In  the  Bolivar  lighthouse,  which  stands  130  feet  high 
on  Bolivar  Point,  across  the  bay  from  Galveston,  about 
125  persons  sought  refuge  from  the  storm  on  Saturday 
evening.  Many  were  those  whose  homes  had  been  swept 
away  by  the  hurricane  and  others  were  residents  of  Gal- 
veston who  had  come  to  the  bay  shore  in  their  endeavors 
to  reach  Galveston  and  their  families.  Among  the  latter 
was  County  Road  Superintendent  Kelso.  Mr.  Kelso 
stated,  when  he  reached  Galveston  on  Monday  afternoon, 
that  the  100  or  more  refugees  spent  an  awful  night  in 
the  lighthouse  on  Saturday  night.  The  supply  of  fresh 
water  was  soon  exhausted  and  an  effort  was  made  to  secure 
water  by  catching  the  rain  water  in  buckets  suspended  at 
the  top  of  the  lighthouse.  The  experiment  was  a  success 
in  a  way,  but  it  demonstrated  a  remarkable  incident  to  the 
force  of  the  wind.  The  bucket  was  soon  filled  with  water, 
but  it  was  salty  and  could  not  be  used.  Several  attempts 
finally  resulted  in  a  fresh  water  supply  to  quench  the  thirst 
of  the  excited  refugees.  The  salt  water  spray  was  shot 
skyward  over  130  feet,  and  mingled  with  the  rain  water 
that  fell  into  the  buckets. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  DREADFUL  BURDEN  OF  THE  DEAD. 

In  Galveston,  two  days  after  the  hurricane  struck  the 
city,  the  bright  moonlight  enabled  the  rescuing  party  to 
continue  by  night  their  work  of  relieving  the  injured  and 
recovering  the  bodies  of  the  dead.  ~No  reliable  estimate 
as  to  the  number  of  killed  and  drowned  could  be  made. 
Estimates  of  the  missing  range  all  the  way  from  1,500  to 
10,000  persons  in  Galveston  alone.  Many  bodies  were  car- 
ried out  to  sea  by  the  receding  waters,  never  to  be  recov- 
ered. 

While  the  search  along  the  devastated  mainland,  which 
was  swept  by  the  waters  of  the  bay  for  a  distance  of  six 
miles  inland,  was  kept  up,  it  will  never  be  known  how 
many  were  lost,  owing  to  the  fact  that  there  is  such  a  large 
territory  of  shore  line  and  storm-swept  country  to  be  gone 
over.  All  night  long  searching  parties  walked  the  shore 
in  search  for  dead  bodies  and  many  were  recovered,  but 
not  identified. 

September  11  a  dispatch  was  sent  from  Galveston,  via 
Houston,  containing  this  shocking  information : 

Ten  ghouls — eight  negroes  and  two  whites — were 
caught  after  robbing  bodies.  Their  pockets  were  filled 
with  fingers  and  ears,  cut  from  corpses.  These  pieces  of 
flesh  bore  rings  and  jewels.  The  negroes  were  shot  down. 

In  all  about  fifty  ghouls,  despoilers  of  the  dead,  have 
been  shot  down,  and  a  negro  who  attacked  a  woman  has 
been  killed.  Martial  law  reigns  here.  Mends  who,  like 

96 


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_   H 


BURDEN  OF  THE  DEAD.  99 

buzzards,  thrive  at  such  times  as  this,  are  shown  no  mercy ; 
are  given  no  trial.  The  orders  are  to  shoot  them  down 
and  these  orders  are  obeyed. 

A  horde  of  negro  rowdies  attacked  a  squad  of  soldiers 
guarding  St.  Mary's  Hospital  Monday  night.  Hundreds 
of  shots  were  fired  and  sixteen  negroes  were  killed.  Every 
hour  during  the  night  other  shootings  of  negro  thieves 
were  reported  at  headquarters.  Tuesday  morning,  a  negro 
attacked  a  white  woman  and  murdered  her  in  the  most 
cold-blooded  manner.  The  soldiers  caught  him  and  blew 
his  head  off.  Reports  of  many  similar  cases  have  reached 
headquarters.  The  public  is  used  to  terrible  crimes.  It  is 
almost  unmoved  by  these  reports. 

Eight  marauders  caught  looting  the  bodies  and  wrecking 
stores  Tuesday  night  were  killed  by  the  soldiers.  The  pil- 
lagers have  become  bold,  cutting  off  fingers  to  secure  dia- 
mond rings. 

September  12th  this  was  dispatched  from  the  scene  of 
horror : 

The  ghouls  were  holding  an  orgie  over  the  dead.  The 
majority  of  these  men  were  negroes,  but  there  were  also 
whites,  who  took  part  in  the  desecration  of  the  dead. 
Some  of  them  were  natives  and  some  had  been  allowed  to 
go  over  from  the  mainland  under  the  guise  of  "relief" 
work.  "Not  only  did  they  rob  the  dead,  but  they  muti- 
lated bodies  in  order  to  secure  their  ghoulish  booty.  A 
party  of  ten  negroes  was  returning  from  a  looting  expedi- 
tion. They  had  stripped  corpses  of  all  valuables,  and  the 
pockets  of  some  of  the  looters  were  fairly  bulging  out  with 
fingers  of  the  dead,  which  had  been  cut  off  because  they 
were  so  swollen  the  rings  could  not  be  removed.  Incensed 
at  this  desecration  and  mutilation  of  the  dead  the  looters 


100  BURDEN  OF  THE  DEAD. 

were  shot  down  and  it  has  been  determined  that  all  found 
in  the  act  of  robbing  the  dead  shall  be  summarily  shot. 

During  the  robbing  of  the  dead  not  only  were  fingers 
cut  off,  but  ears  were  stripped  from  the  head  in  order  to 
secure  jewels  of  value.  A  few  government  troops  who  sur- 
vived have  been  assisting  in  patroling  the  city.  Private 
citizens  have  also  endeavored  to  prevent  the  robbing  of  the 
dead  and  on  several  occasions  have  killed  the  offenders. 
It  is  said  that  at  one  time  eight  were  killed  and  at  another 
time  four.  Among  the  many  incidents  Sunday  night  was 
the  besieging  of  the  squad  guarding  St.  Mary's  Hospital. 
They  were  surrounded  by  a  horde  of  armed  negro  thieves. 
Several  hundred  shots  were  exchanged.  Sergeant  Camp 
killed  four  negroes  with  his  rifle,  and  about  ten  or  twelve 
were  killed  by  the  squad.  Every  hour  during  the  night  a 
fresh  negro  shooting  was  reported  at  headquarters.  It 
became  evident  yesterday  that  burying  the  dead  would 
have  to  be  abandoned.  The  heat  was  so  intense  that  bod- 
ies decomposed  before  they  could  be  taken  from  the  debris. 

Torches  instead  of  shovels  became  the  order,  and  wher- 
ever bodies  could  be  seen  in  ruins  the  ruins  were  lighted 
and  the  flames  licked  up  the  dead. 

One  hundred  people  at  present  are  at  this  point,  some 
waiting  for  transportation  over  to  Galveston,  some  for  day 
to  break  so  as  to  permit  of  the  burial  of  corpses,  of  which 
there  are  many  scattered  up  and  down  the  beach  and  all 
over  the  prairie  for  a  radius  of  ten  miles.  Others  are 
waiting  for  a  first  chance  to  get  as  far  away  as  possible 
from  this  terrible  scene.  Men  who  will  work  are  very 
scarce.  Those  willing  have  a  desire  to  boss,  which  does 
not  facilitate  matters  in  the  least.  An  organized  force  of 
considerable  proportion  should  be  sent  here  at  once. 


BURDEN  OF  THE  DEAD.  101 

Thieves  have  been  robbing  the  bodies  as  they  come 
ashore.  One  man  was  caught  last  night  and  will  be  taken 
to  Galveston  to-day.  When  searched  a  baby's  finger  was 
found  with  a  ring  on  it.  He  afterwards  gave  the  hiding 
place  of  articles  and  money  and  much  jewelry  was  found. 
A  cry  of  "lynch  him"  met  with  little  favor ;  enough  death 
is  here. 

From  lamp-posts  dangle  the  bullet-riddled  bodies  of 
fiends  who  rifled  the  bodies  of  the  storm's  dead.  On  P 
street  lies  a  row  of  bodies  of  whites  and  negroes,  shot  while 
robbing  the  dead  of  money  and  valuables.  Mayor  Fay- 
ling's  committee  of  vigilantes  caught  the  fiends  at  work. 
They  were  stood  up  on  the  curbstone  and  executed.  There 
the  bodies  lie,  festering  in  the  hot  sun,  for  there  are  no 
provisions  for  burying  this  class  of  dead. 

One  negro  was  caught  cutting  the  ring  finger  from  the 
body  of  a  young  girl  near  St.  Mary's  Hospital.  He  was 
strung  up  to  the  steps  of  a  broken  telephone  pole  by  a  rope. 
The  six  men  in  a  squad  of  vigilantes  pumped  him  full  of 
Winchester  bullets.  On  Virginia  Beach,  across  from  Gal- 
veston, where  the  bodies  of  the  storm's  victims  went  ashore, 
is  the  harvest  field  of  the  ghouls.  Whatever  is  of  value 
is  taken.  There  is  nobody  to  stay  the  awful  work  of  van- 
dalism, as  the  authorities  have  all  they  can  do  over  in  the 
city.  There  are  two  hundred  of  these  bodies  washed  up 
on  the  beach.  Some  are  naked  and  these  are  despoiled  of 
whatever  valuables  they  have  in  the  shape  of  rings.  No 
effort  is  made  to  take  the  jewelry  off,  the  fingers  are  cut 
and  the  rings  slipped  off  the  stumps.  There  is  no  color 
line  in  this  work  of  desecration.  The  white  fiend  works 
alongside  of  his  black  brother. 

Fever  is  appearing  among  the  survivors  and  the  med- 


102  BURDEN  OF  THE  DEAD. 

ical  staff  is  unable  to  cope  with  it.  What  little  water  there 
is  is  polluted  with  disease  germs  and  the  pestilence  is 
spreading.  Nothing  can  stop  it  but  the  arrival  of  doctors 
and  supplies. 

Parents  are  warned  to  keep  away  from  the  dead  wagons 
in  which  their  children  have  been  tumbled,  and  long  bar- 
reled rifles  back  up  the  warning.  This  is  done  in  a  Chris- 
tian spirit  and  not  to  be  brutal.  The  safety  of  the  35,000 
living  necessitates  this  course,  for  the  hot  sun  is  already 
breeding  disease  and  pestilence  from  the  hundreds  of  de- 
caying bodies.  The  city  is  a  vast  charnel  house.  The 
dead  wagons  hurry,  from  place  to  place,  filling  with  the 
awful  cargo  and  then  speed  away  to  the  docks,  where 
the  bodies  are  dumped  into  scows  and  towed  out  into  the 
Gulf.  The  waters  of  the  Gulf  float  the  bodies  for  a  few 
minutes,  then  swallow  them  up.  There  are  no  services, 
no  prayers,  no  tears — just  a  "splash,"  "splash,"  as  the 
corpses  are  thrown  to  their  last  resting  place.  Then  the 
funeral  cortege  of  scows  returns  to  the  docks  for  another 
load. 

The  Winchesters  quell  the  resentment  which  rises  in 
the  breasts  of  heart-broken  relatives  as  other  bodies  are 
chucked  into  the  dead  wagons.  It  is  all  done  by  the  order 
of  Mayor  Jones,  who  said :  "The  living  must  be  protected 
from  pestilence." 

It  is  a  harvest  for  ghouls.  In  the  ruins  of  stores  and 
houses  are  thousands  of  dollars7  worth  of  goods  which  can 
be  carried  away  by  the  individual.  These  human  vultures 
loot  when  they  can  and  the  staring  eyes  of  the  dead  have 
no  terrors  for  them. 

A  business  man  of  excellent  standing  and  intelligence 
told  a  newspaper  man  on  the  boat  to  Galveston,  Wednes- 


BURDEN  OF  THE  DEAD.  103 

day  after  the  disaster,  that  the  banks  paid  out  sums  of  $25 
only.  He  had  been  in  and  out  several  times  and  was  on 
the  relief  committees.  He  had  no  reason  to  tell  an  un- 
truth, nor  did  he  have  the  intent  to  tell  one.  Yet  his 
statement  was  without  basis.  The  banks  of  Galveston  had 
paid  depositors  in  full  if  they  wanted  the  money.  So 
with  hundreds  of  thousands  of  stories.  The  disposition  to 
jump  at  conclusions,  to  repeat  rumors  as  facts,  is  a  com- 
mon failing.  So  enormous  was  the  calamity  that  no  story 
of  escape  or  tale  of  horror  seemed  impossible. 

When  the  newspaper  men  reached  the  city  the  thing  was 
too  vast  to  attempt  the  investigation  of  each  story,  the 
features  of  each  wrecked  building  and  every  separate 
happening  of  ten  thousand  happenings.  They  were  forced 
to  use  their  judgment  about  whatever  man  was  ready  to 
tell.  Indeed,  every  prolix  person  they  interviewed  was 
a  loss  of  time.  They  asked  hurried  questions,  they  did  not 
have  time  to  compare  one  man's  story  with  another's.  The 
result  was  that  the  buildings  were  reported  wrecked  which 
were  unharmed.  Persons  were  said  to  be  dead  who  were 
saved.  Shooting  affrays  that  never  happened  were  ac- 
cepted as  truthful.  Supplementing  this  exaggeration  by 
men  of  high  degree,  by  officials,  by  militia  officers  and 
the  reports  of  persons  who  believed  neighbors  were  dead 
because  they  had  not  seen  them,  came  the  constitutional 
liar.  The  calamity  at  Galveston  was  the  turning  loose  of 
this  liar;  he  burst  his  chains,  as  it  is  said  the  devil  will 
do  in  the  last  days,  and  for  several  days  ran  riot  in  the 
stricken  city. 

Yet  the  most  fantastic  efforts  of  the  spinners  of  yarns 
could  not  beat  the  truth.  It  was  simply  a  lying  about  de- 
tails while  the  general  facts  were  almost  beyond  exaggera- 


104:  BURDEN  OF  THE  DEAD. 

tion  except  by  a  Houston  hotel  clerk,  who  repeated  to 
anxious  inquirers  on  Wednesday  night  in  monotonous  tone 
this  information: 

"Galveston  is  wiped  out;  14,000  people  were  killed. 
Nobody  can  go  there.  The  survivors  are  being  huddled  on 
the  mainland.  All  must  leave  day  after  to-morrow;  the 
city  will  be  burned  up." 

Curiously  enough  the  stories  of  horror  are  the  chief 
delight  of  the  exaggerators.  He  did  not  tell  joyfully  that 
everybody  in  a  cyclone  building  had  been  saved,  but  that 
they  were  all  buried  in  the  ruins  and  that  a  little  black  dog, 
the  only  survivor,  howled  over  the  mass  of  wreckage.  One 
man  went  about  the  worst  places  and  babbled  to  the  sol- 
diers, so  they  said,  that  he  was  a  war  correspondent  by 
profession  who  happened  to  stop  in  Galveston  on  pri- 
vate business,  saw  the  storm,  had  formed  a  corps  of  four- 
teen reporters  and  was  cabling  49,000  words  to  the  London 
Times,  and  had  already  compiled  a  list  of  14,000  identi- 
fied. It  is  most  probable  that  this  liar  told  the  soldiers 
that  he  was  cabling  19,000  words  and  had  a  list  of  9,000 
names  of  the  killed. 

When  it  came  to  the  stories  of  ghouls  robbing  the  dead 
the  favorite  yarn  was  that  a  well  dressed  stranger  had  been 
caught  with  a  valise  full  of  fingers  with  rings  on  them, 
and  that  a  negro  had  been  seen  tearing  off  fingers.  In 
each  instance  a  soldier  with  unerring  aim  shot  the  wretch 
to  death.  These  stories  were  believed  by  all  who  repeated 
them.  Nobody  ever  found  the  soldiers  in  question. 

At  the  same  time  men  did  loot,  and  looters  were  shot, 
but  the  real  stories  of  how,  or  when,  were  lost  in  the  stupen- 
dous background  of  death  and  destruction.  Illustrating 
the  human  weakness  for  exaggeration,  the  man  who  in- 


BURDEN  OF  TEE  DEAD.  105 

sisted  that  the  dead  numbered  20,000  was  the  very  man 
who  asserted  that  in  three  years  Galveston  would  have 
100,000  inhabitants,  through  the  quickening  effect  of 
calamity. 

Six  days  after  the  desolation  came  this  news:  The 
burial  of  the  dead  goes  steadily  on.  All  the  corpses  in 
the  open,  along  the  shores  or  near  the  wreckage,  have  been 
sunk  in  the  gulf  or  burned  in  the  streets.  The  labor  of 
clearing  away  the  debris  in  search  of  bodies  began  at 
Thirtieth  street  and  avenue  0,  one  of  the  worst  wrecked 
parts  of  town.  Two  hundred  men  were  put  to  work,  and 
in  thirty  minutes  fifty  corpses  were  found  within  a  space 
thirty  yards  square.  Whole  families  lay  dead  piled  in  in- 
describable confusion. 

Old  and  young,  crushed  by  the  falling  timbers,  were  one 
by  one  dragged  from  debris  six  to  twenty  feet  deep. 
Aged  fathers  were  clinging  to  more  robust  forms;  chil- 
dren clinging  to  mothers'  skirts;  young  girls  with  their 
arms  around  brothers;  mothers  clasping  babes  to  their 
bosoms.  These  were  the  melancholy  sights  seen  by  those 
digging  among  the  ruins.  In  dozens  and  scores  the  bodies 
were  turned  up  by  pick  and  shovel,  rake  and  ax.  Away 
to  the  left  the  wreckage  stretched  two  miles  to  Seventh 
street ;  to  the  right,  a  mile  to  Fortieth  street  down  town. 

Popular  sentiment  insists  that  the  west  end  be  burned, 
but  the  military  authorities  have  hesitated  to  give  the 
order. 

Six  days  have  wrought  surprising  changes  in  conditions 
at  Galveston.  Each  day  has  been  a  chapter  in  itself. 
Sunday  was  paralysis.  On  Monday  came  the  beginning 
of  realization.  Tuesday  might  be  called  the  crisis  period. 
And  the  crisis  was  passed  safely.  What  has  been  ae- 


106  BURDEN  OF  TEE  DEAD. 

complished  since  the  turning  point  on  Tuesday  is  amazing. 
It  is  almost  as  incredible  as  some  of  the  effects  of  this 
visitation  are  without  precedent. 

On  Sunday  the  people  did  little  but  go  about  dazed 
and  bewildered,  gathering  a  few  hundred  of  the  bodies 
which  were  in  their  way.  On  Monday  the  born  leaders 
who  are  usually  not  discovered  in  a  community  until  some 
great  emergency  arises  began  to  forge  in  front.  They  were 
not  men  from  one  rank  in  point  of  wealth  or  intelligence. 
They  came  from  all  classes.  For  example,  there  was 
Hughes,  the  'longshoreman. 

On  Monday  after  the  disaster  came  this  message: 

'"All  Galveston  is  now  at  work  and  the  contributions 
which  we  are  receiving  from  the  sympathizing  nation  are 
going  to  pay  for  the  most  urgent  work  the  storm  imposed 
on  us." 

Bodies  which  lay  exposed  in  the  streets  and  which  were 
necessary  to  remove  somewhere  lest  they  be  stepped  on 
were  carried  into  a  temporary  morgue  until  500  lay  in 
rows  on  the  floor.  Then  a  problem  in  mortality,  such  as 
no  other  American  community  ever  faced,  was  presented. 
Pestilence,  which  stalked  forth  by  Monday,  seemed  about 
to  take  possession  of  what  the  storm  had  left.  Immediate 
disposition  of  those  bodies  was  absolutely  necessary  to 
save  the  living.  Then  it  was  that  Lowe  and  McVittie  and 
Sealy  and  the  others,  who  by  common  impulse  had  come 
together  to  deal  with  the  problem,  found  Hughes.  The 
'longshoreman  took  up  the  most  grewsome  task  ever  seen 
away  from  a  battlefield.  He  had  to  have  helpers.  Some 
volunteered,  others  were  pressed  into  the  service  at  the 
point  of  the  bayonet.  Wliisky  by  the  bucketful  was  car- 
ried to  these  men  and  they  were  drenched  with  it.  The 


BURDEN  OF  THE  DEAD.  107 

stimulant  was  kept  at  hand  and  applied  continuously. 
Only  in  this  way  was  it  possible  for  the  stoutest  hearted 
to  work  in  such  surroundings.  Under  the  directions  of 
Hughes  these  hundreds  of  bodies  already  collected  and 
others  brought  from  the  central  part  of  the  city — those 
which  were  quickest  found — were  loaded  on  to  an  ocean 
barge  and  taken  far  off  into  the  gulf  to  be  cast  into  the  sea. 

A  Chronicle  letter  from  the  stricken  city,  dated  Sep- 
tember 17,  said: 

"A  systematic  effort  has  begun  to  obtain  the  names  of  the 
dead,  so  that  the  information  can  be  used  for  legal  pur- 
poses and  for  life  insurance  and  settlements.  Charles  E. 
Doherty  is  stationed  at  the  headquarters  of  the  central 
relief  committee  to  receive  and  file  sworn  statements  in 
the  absence  of  the  usual  coroner's  certificate. 

"A  census  is  being  taken  by  wards  to  obtain  some  ap- 
proximate idea  of  the  total  death  list.  Partial  figures 
from  eleven  out  of  twelve  wards,  allowing  four  persons 
to  a  family,  make  the  number  of  victims  15,000.  This  is 
regarded  as  the  outside  estimate.  The  destruction  in  the 
twelfth  ward  is  appalling.  Of  547  houses  but  twenty- 
eight  are  left  standing. 

"The  work  of  clearing  the  streets  of  the  accumulated 
debris  is  proceeding  rapidly,  although  a  wide  area  remains 
untouched.  Eight  thousand  men  are  wielding  pick  and 
shovel.  Included  in  this  number  are  several  hundred 
Chinese  who  have  volunteered  their  services.  Many  whites 
and  negroes  who  came  into  the  city  as  sightseers  before 
strict  regulations  were  put  in  force  have  been  compelled  to 
work  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet.  Bodies  are  being  un- 
earthed constantly  and  it  is  estimated  that  at  least  2,50,0 
victims  still  lie  beneath  the  ruins.  Fully  a  month  must 


108  BURDEN  OF  THE  DEAD. 

elapse  before  the  city  can  be  cleaned.  The  city,  especially 
in  the  business  district,  is  beginning  to  look  like  itself 
again. 

"Horse  cars  are  in  operation  in  the  business  part  of  the 
city  and  the  electric  line  and  water  service  have  been  par- 
tially resumed.  The  progress  being  made  under  the  cir- 
cumstances is  little  short  of  remarkable.  It  must  not 
be  by  any  means  understood  that  the  remaining  portion 
of  the  city  has  been  put  in  anything  like  its  normal  condi- 
tion, but  so  very  great  a  change  has  been  wrought,  so 
much  order  and  system  now  prevail  where  formerly  chaos 
reigned,  that  Galveston  and  the  people  who  have  been 
giving  her  such  noble  assistance  have  good  reason  to  be 
satisfied  with  what  has  been  accomplished  in  the  face  of 
such  fearful  odds.  And,  according  to  statements  made  by 
General  Scurry,  Mayor  Jones,  Alderman  Perry  and 
others,  there  is  equally  good  reason  to  believe  that  the  prog- 
ress of  the  work  during  the  next  week  or  so  will  be  even 
more  satisfactory." 


CHAPTEK  V. 

SCENES    AND    INCIDENTS     OF    THE    TIME    OF    TERROR. 

The  experience  of  Miss  Alice  Pixley  of  Elgin,  who  was 
in  Galveston  when  the  city  was  wrecked,  is  most  interest- 
ing. She  was  visiting  Miss  Lulu  George,  who  lived  in 
Thirty-fifth  street,  between  N"  street  and  BT  and  One-half 
street.  "The  storm  started  early  on  Saturday  morning," 
said  Miss  Pixley,  "and  by  1 :30  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  it 
had  become  furious.  We  left  the  house  where  I  was  visit- 
ing and  went  to  a  frame  house  of  two  stories  and  a  base- 
ment at  the  corner  of  Thirty-fifth  and  N"  streets.  In  order 
to  get  there  I  had  to  be  carried  through  the  water  by  a  man 
named  Youngblood,  who  later  learned  that  his  brother  and 
his  brother's  wife  and  child  had  been  lost. 

"We  stayed  in  the  basement  of  this  house  until  the 
water  became  too  high,  it  having  risen  five  feet  in  an  hour. 
Then  we  went  to  the  second  floor  and  stayed  there  until 
Sunday  morning,  when  we  returned  to  the  other  house 
through  five  feet  of  water.  Mr.  Darley,  who  was  six  feet 
tall,  carried  me  on  his  shoulders,  my  feet  being  in  the 
water.  I  have  since  learned  that  Mr.  Darley  lost  his  father, 
mother  and  sister. 

"The  scenes  of  desolation  were  awful.  Eor  three  miles, 
in  a  district  which  had  been  thickly  settled,  not  a  house 
was  standing  except  one  or  two.  Masses  of  timbers  were 
piled  up  everywhere,  and  hundreds  of  dead  bodies  were  to 
be  seen. 

"On  Monday  morning  the  water  was  only  two  feet  deep 

109 


110  SCENES  AND  INCIDENTS. 

and  we  walked  to  town  to  get  something  to  eat.  The  same 
utter  desolation  existed  everywhere.  If  we  met  any  one 
and  asked  how  they  were  they  would  cry  out:  'We  have 
lost  everything.' 

"We  walked  down  to  the  beach  on  Tuesday,  ana  south 
of  avenue  P  dead  bodies  were  piled  up  everywhere.  We 
counted  over  200  lying  on  the  beach  as  we  walked  along. 
We  left  for  Houston  on  the  boat  on  Thursday  morning  and 
arrived  there  at  7 :35  in  the  evening.  I  immediately  took 
a  Santa  Fe  train  for  home." 

Up  to  the  time  Miss  Pixley  left  Galveston  2,800  bodies 
had  been  buried  in  the  Gulf  with  weights  fastened  to  them. 

Angela's  Ursuline  Convent  and  Academy  proved  a 
haven  of  refuge  for  nearly  1,000  homeless  and  storm 
driven  unfortunates. 

The  convent,  with  its  many  buildings,  colleges,  etc.,  oc- 
cupies four  blocks,  extending  from  avenue  N  to  avenue  O, 
and  Rosenburg  avenue  to  Twenty-seventh  street.  The 
grounds  were  surrounded  by  a  ten-foot  brick  wall,  that  had 
withstood  the  severest  storms  in  Galveston's  history  up  to 
the  occurrence  of  the  recent  hurricane.  This  wall  is  now 
a  crumbled  mass  of  brick,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  small 
seotions,  which  stand  like  marking  pillars  to  show  where 
the  property  line  should  be. 

No  one  was  refused  admittance  to  the  convent  on  the 
night  of  the  storm.  Negroes  and  whites  were  taken  in 
without  question,  and  the  asylum  was  thrown  open  to  all 
who  sought  its  protecting  wings.  The  sisters  went  among 
the  sufferers,  whispering  words  of  cheer,  offering  what 
scant  clothing  could  be  found  in  the  place,  and  calmly 
admonishing  the  terror-stricken  refugees  to  have  faith  in 
God. 


SCENES  AND  INCIDENTS.  Ill 

The  hundred  or  more  negroes  grew  wild,  however,  as 
the  storm  raged,  an'd  they  shouted  and  sang  until  the  nerves 
of  the  other  refugees  were  shattered  and  a  panic  was  im- 
minent. Mother  Superior  Joseph  rang  the  chapel  bell  and 
when  quiet  had  been  restored  she  told  the  negroes  it  was 
neither  the  time  nor  place  for  such  scenes.  If  they  wanted 
to  pray,  she  said,  they  should  do  so  from  their  hearts,  and 
God  would  hear  their  petitions  above  the  roar  of  the  hurri- 
cane. 

The  negroes  listened  attentively,  and  when  Mother  Su- 
perior Joseph  asked  who  of  them  wished  to  be  baptized  or 
resign  themselves  to  God  nearly  every  one  asked  that  the 
sacrament  be  administered. 

The  excitement  had  been  caused  by  the  fall  of  the  north 
wall  of  that  section  of  the  building  in  which  the  negroes 
had  sought  refuge. 

The  academy  was  to  have  opened  for  the  fall  session  on 
Tuesday,  and  forty-two  scholars  from  all  parts  of  the  State 
had  arrived  at  the  convent.  There  were  forty  nuns  in  the 
convent. 

When  the  refugees  began  to  reach  the  convent,  and  ask 
for  protection  an  attempt  was  made  to  keep  a  register  of 
their  names.  This  register  reached  nearly  a  hundred 
names,  and  then  the  storm-driven  citizens  began  to  arrive 
in  crowds  of  twenty  and  thirty,  and  there  was  no  time  to 
ask  their  names.  Some  were  taken  in  through  windows 
and  some  were  dragged  through  five  feet  of  water  into  the 
basement,  which  had  been  abandoned  on  account  of  the  in- 
vasion of  the  flood.  Others  were  rescued  by  ropes  from 
treetops  or  snatched  from  roofs  and  other  wreckage,  as  it 
was  hurled  in  the  rushing  torrent  through  the  convent 
grounds. 


112  SCENES  AND  INCIDENTS. 

Four  babies  came  into  the  world  while  their  mothers 
were  being  cared  for  by  the  nuns.  No  one  expected  to  live 
to  see  the  light  of  day,  and  it  was  decided  that  the  little 
ones  should  not  leave  the  world  they  had  just  entered  with- 
out baptism,  and  the  sisters  administered  the  rite. 

Mrs.  William  Henry  Heideman  was  one  of  the  mothers, 
and  her  babe  was  christened  William  Henry.  Mrs.  Heide- 
man had  been  separated  from  her  family  when  their  home 
went  down.  She  was  carried  away  on  the  roof  of  the  cot- 
tage. The  roof  struck  some  obstruction,  and  Mrs.  Heide- 
man was  thrown  off. 

The  poor  woman  was  tossed  by  the  flood  upon  a  trunk, 
and,  clinging  to  this  frail  support,  she  was  thrown  against 
the  convent  walls  and  was  pulled  into  the  building.  The 
little  babe  was  born  a  few  hours  later. 

While  the  sisters  and  other  women  were  caring  for  the 
mother  and  child  a  young  brother  of  Mrs.  Heideman  bat- 
tled with  the  wind  and  waters  while  clinging  to  a  limb  of 
a  tree  just  outside  the  convent.  He  heard  the  cry  of  a  child 
nearby.  Reaching  out  with  one  hand,  he  caught  hold  of 
the  dress  of  a  little  child,  who  cried  out,  "Me  simming" 
not  realizing  its  peril.  The  child  was  Mrs.  Heideinan's 
little  son. 

A  rescuing  party  sent  out  from  the  convent  in  re- 
sponse to  cries  for  help  found  the  young  man  and  his 
nephew  and  carried  them  safely  to  the  convent. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  Irwin  were  swept  from  their  home, 
at  Twenty-fourth  street  and  avenue  P  One-half,  and  be- 
came separated. 

Mr.  Irwin  was  rescued  and  taken  to  the  convent.  His 
only  covering  was  an  old  corn  sack,  which  one  of  the  work- 
men about  the  convent  gave  him.  The  only  dry  garment  to 


SCENES  AND  INCIDENTS.  113 

be  found  in  the  convent  was  a  nun's  garb.  Mr.  Irwin  put 
this  on,  and  during  the  long  hours  of  the  night  went  about 
the  building  doing  what  he  could  to  assist  his  fellow-suf- 
ferers. 

It  was  in  the  convent  that  Dr.  Judson  B.  Palmer,  gen- 
eral secretary  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association, 
found  a  refuge.  His  home,  in  avenue  P  One-half,  in  which 
were  seventeen  persons,  was  destroyed,  and  all  except  three 
of  the  inmates  lost  their  lives.  Dr.  Palmer  was  carried  on 
the  drift  to  the  convent  and  was  hauled  in  through  a  win- 
dow. He  was  badly  hurt,  and  now  lies  in  the  home  of  a 
friend,  having  lost  his  wife  and  only  child. 

On  Sunday  after  the  storm  Galveston  was  stupefied. 
Men  were  wanted,  of  course,  to  stand  guard,  to  protect 
property  and  bury  the  dead.  And  such  a  turning  loose 
as  there  was  of  officious  persons  who  would  rather  be  bosses 
than  eat. 

The  women  of  Galveston  engaged  in  a  work  which  was 
perhaps  without  precedent  in  relief  effort.  They  made 
many  little  bags  into  which  they  placed  two  or  three  lumps 
of  camphor.  The  bags  had  strings  by  which  they  could  be 
fastened  at  the  head  so  that  they  rested  on  the  lip  just 
under  the  nose.  They  were  to  be  worn  by  the  men  engaged 
in  the  search  for  and  cremation  of  bodies. 

It  was  proposed  to  all  people  whose  houses  were  stand- 
ing that  whenever  they  located  a  corpse  or  carcass  in  their 
vicinity  the  position  be  indicated  by  a  flag  of  some  kind. 
On  the  beach  and  the  western  part  of  the  city  there  were 
100  or  more  pyres  where  human  bodies  and  the  carcasses 
of  dead  animals  were  disposed  of  by  fire.  Separate  pyres 
were  designated  for  human  bodies  and  animal  carcasses, 
and  the  work  progressed  rapidly. 


114  SCENES  AND  INCIDENTS. 

Ninety-five  per  cent  of  the  bodies  recovered  were  naked. 
The  storm  stripped  the  victims  of  all  vestige  of  clothing 
or  articles  that  might  lead  to  identification.  Another  re- 
markable fact,  which  showed  the  force  of  the  storm  in 
packing  the  wreckage  and  debris  in  high  mounds,  was  seen 
in  the  amount  of  water  held  by  the  wreckage.  Six  days  of 
sunshine  and  seven  nights  of  cool  Gulf  breezes  failed  to 
draw  the  water  held  by  the  wreckage  which,  jammed  into 
water-tight  ridges,  formed  tanks  to  hold  the  salt  water 
which  inundated  the  city.  While  the  ground  all  around 
these  ridges  was  dry  and  hard,  the  removal  of  the  top 
ridge  disclosed  several  feet  of  water. 

A  correspondent  tells  the  News : 

"It  is  easy  to  see,  as  awful  as  the  calamity  has  been,  a 
few  hours'  delay  would  have  more  than  doubled  the  loss  in 
human  lives.  A  cheap  rate  of  excursion  was  on  and  twelve 
hours'  delay  would  have  landed  10,000  excursionists  in 
Galveston  with  little  experience  to  battle  with  the  condi- 
tion which  swept  so  many  into  eternity.  Another  lesson 
should  be  impressed  upon  the  minds  of  people  everywhere 
— not  to  be  over-confident  of  their  security,  for  those  who 
little  reck  may  in  the  years  to  come  be  succored  by  the  mag- 
nanimity of  a  redeemed  and  restored  Galveston." 

The  following  story  of  one  man's  experience  and  that  of 
his  family  on  the  fateful  night  in  Galveston  is  a  wonder- 
ful picture  of  the  scene.: 

"Galveston,  Sept.  18.— To  the  News:  Allow  me  to 
hand  you  my  experience  during  the  recent  storm,  and  I 
certainly  feel  very  fortunate  to  be  alive  to  tell  the  tale.  It 
was  about  3:30.  I  was  pacing  up  and  down  the  hall  of 
my  home  on  2008  Avenue  P,  with  my  wife  and  boy,  6 
years  old,  and  a  Mrs.  Tom  Shepherd  and  her  young  baby, 


G.  C.  &  S.  F.  R.  R.  GENERAL  OFFICES,  GALVESTON. 


SCENES  AND  INCIDENTS. 

on  a  visit  to  us  from  Cedar  Bayou.  As  I  heard  the  roof 
cracking  from  the  falling  bricks,  I  looked  up  and  saw  the 
rain  was  soaking  the  ceiling  paper.  A  thousand  thoughts 
passed  through  my  mind,  for  I  saw  the  danger  that  had 
surrounded  us  and  knew  as  I  looked  towards  the  gulf  that 
if  the  storm  kept  up  its  fury  my  home  would  soon  go  to 
pieces  and  we  would  all  perish  beneath  it.  About  5  o'clock 
the  rain  came  flooding  in  through  the  ceiling  all  over  the 
house,  in  every  room.  The  only  chance  of  saving  our 
lives  now  was  to  desert  the  place  and  take  our  chances  on 
the  drifting  wreckage  which  was  piling  up  afloat  under 
my  front  gallery,  with  the  water  about  14  feet  deep  I  had 
no  time  to  lose.  It  was  getting  furious.  I  told  my  wife 
and  Mrs.  Shepherd  to  stand  ready  for  me  to  place  them 
on  the  floating  debris.  As  I  opened  my  front  door  we 
were  all  nearly  swept  off  our  feet  by  the  water  which  came 
rushing  in.  As  I  opened  the  door  the  sight  before  me  was 
fearful.  Sticking  up,  pointing  in  every  direction,  were 
the  floating  timbers.  I  got  the  women  and  children  safely 
seated,  and  climbing  up  myself  we  floated  off  with  the 
drifting  wreck.  After  a  severe  struggle  three  of  us  came 
out  alive.  I  spied  a  big  door  floating  and  we  all  got  on  it. 
As  I  stood  up  to  look  over  the  pile  which  surrounded  us  I 
was  struck  with  a  piece  of  slate  on  the  face,  cutting  my 
right  cheek  wide  open.  The  blood  poured  from  the  wound. 
Very  soon  I  sank  down  exhausted  and  faint  from  the  loss 
of  blood.  With  this  gash  laid  open  to  the  heavy  wind 
and  rain  I  felt  my  end  was  near.  I  eaid  good-bye  to  my 
wife  and  boy  and  begged  them  not  to  give  up,  but  try  and 
live  the  storm  through.  I  knew  nothing  for  some  time 
after  this,  when  I  found  enough  strength  to  raise  my  head. 
I  had  to  think  for  a  moment  when  I  saw  my  wife,  who  was 


118  SCENES  AND  INCIDENTS. 

crying  most  bitterly.  I  felt  new  courage,  but  when  my 
wife  told  me  poor  Mrs.  Shepherd  and  her  baby  had  gone, 
I  began  to  think  it  would  soon  be  all  over  with  us,  but  I 
said  no;  I  must  not  give  up.  From  then  on  we  made  a 
desperate  struggle  to  save  our  lives.  We  could  hardly  see 
anything  for  the  blinding  rain.  As  we  were  being  driven 
on,  God  only  knows  where,  a  piece  of  timber  struck  my 
wife  and  fractured  her  shoulder,  but  even  though  both  of 
us  were  crippled,  we  were  determined  then  not  to  give  up. 
After  being  tossed  from  one  place  to  another  we  finally 
drifted  under  a  window  of  a  house  and  seeing  we  did  not 
float  from  this  spot,  the  house  looking  solid,  I  got  in  the 
window  and  found  myself  in  a  room  with  the  furniture 
floating  around.  After  getting  my  wife  and  boy  in,  cold, 
wet  and  exhausted,  we  heard  voices,  and  my  wife  called 
aloud  for  help.  A  gentleman  came  to  the  door  of  the 
room  we  were  in,  and  after  seeing  our  condition  he  guided 
us  up  into  the  attic  and  did  everything  possible  to  make 
us  feel  safe  and  comfortable.  The  water  had  now  gone 
down.  It  was  5  o'clock.  I  take  great  pleasure  in  extend- 
ing my  sincere  thanks  to  this  gentleman,  Mr.  Jim  Comp- 
ton,  Twenty-fourth  and  Avenue  O,  who  gave  us  shelter 
from  the  storm  and  helped  to  save  my  little  boy  from 
dying  of  cold.  I  feel  very  grateful  to  both  him  and  his 
family,  and  even  though  we  have  lost  our  home,  clothes  and 
everything  else,  I  feel  fortunate  to  be  alive,  and  thank  God 
I  saved  my  wife  and  boy.  J.  G.  Smith." 

The  terrible  destruction  of  the  enraged  gulf,  encour- 
aged by  the  fatal  hurricane,  did  not  confine  its  path  to 
tke  city  of  the  living,  but  invaded  the  cities  of  the  dead 
on  the  island.  No  respecter  of  persons,  places  or  things  of 


SCENES  AND  INCIDENTS.  119 

the  memories  sacred  to  the  living,  the  waves  of  death  and 
winds  of  destruction  tore  the  dead  from  their  graves  and 
the  overground  vaults  which  marked  the  last  resting  place 
of  all  that  was  mortal  of  those  who  had  gone  before. 

The  six  cemeteries  of  Galveston  present  heart-bleeding 
pictures  of  the  astounding  and  ghoulish  work  of  the  storm. 
Graves  were  robbed  of  their  dead  and  vaults  built  of  stone, 
concrete  and  iron  were  crushed,  crumbled  and  scattered 
about  the  white  cities.  Metal  caskets  containing  the  mortal 
remains  of  precious  ones  were  swept  from  their  tombs  and 
fed  to  the  greedy  sea. 

Lake  View  and  the  new  Catholic  cemeteries  suffered  the 
greatest  in  the  destruction  of  vaults,  some  of  which  were 
magnificent  structures  built  to  stand  for  ages.  These 
burying  grounds  were  near  the  beach  and  were  the  first  to 
engage  the  gulf  and  storm  gods  in  their  furious  work. 
Only  three  vaults  withstood  the  storm  in  these  two  ceme- 
teries. 

In  all  of  the  cemeteries  tombstones  and  monuments, 
many  of  them  having  withstood  the  storms  of  many  years, 
were  swept  from  their  foundations ;  some  were  demolished, 
others  broken  and  some  even  carried  a  distance  of  100  feet. 
In  fact,  the  tombstones  in  each  of  the  cemeteries  are  sorry 
wrecks. 

Of  all  the  metal  caskets  with  their  sacred  dead  that  were 
disentombed  but  three  have  been  reported  found.  Two 
were  found  yesterday  and  identified.  Others,  it  is  ex- 
pected, will  be  heard  from  later.  The  metallic  caskets  fell 
easy  prey  to  the  raging  gulf  in  its  wild  race  after  once 
released  from  the  tombs,  as  the  metallic  boxes  float  read- 
ily. Many  of  them  are  covered  with  wood  and  to  the  casual 
eye  resemble  wooden  caskets. 


120  SCENES  AND  INCIDENTS. 

In  some  instances  old  graves  were  washed  out  and  the 
peaceful  rest  of  the  dead  disturbed.  The  graves  were 
robbed  and  the  dead  cast  to  the  sea.  One  vault,  where 
nine  members  of  a  family  had  been  laid  to  rest,  was  found 
open,  and  but  three  caskets  remained. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE    CARNIVALS    OF    CRIME    WHEN    CITIES    ARE   DESTROYED 

It  will  remain  forever  as  a  startling  study  of  human  na- 
ture that  ravaging  hordes  of  criminals  infested  the  smoul- 
dering ruins  of  Chicago,  just  as  the  same  class  appeared 
like  beasts  of  prey  when  the  waves  yielded  possession  of 
the  havoc  made  at  Galveston.  We  quote  the  historian : 

"The  genus  thief  was  meantime  plying  busily  his  nimble 
art  of  picking  pockets,  and  the  genus  shark,  in  human 
form,  was  equally  busy  taking  advantage  of  the  desperate 
straits  of  the  homeless  people  by  charging  exorbitant 
sums  for  carrying  saved  goods  and  baggage,  or  conveying 
persons  to  places  of  shelter  and  safety.  The  sharkish  team- 
sters and  baggage-carriers  fought  among  themselves  over 
sought-f or  plunder  and  prizes  as  starving  hyenas  might  be 
expected  to  fight  over  a  choice  carcass,  or  as  buzzards  with 
whetted  appetites  might  wrangle  over  carrion.  These  quar- 
reling and  fighting  rascals  made  the  air  smell  of  hell-fire 
by  the  impious  oaths  and  shocking  imprecations  they  yelled 
out  through  their  clinched  teeth.  Weeping  women  clung 
to  unhelping  and  helpless  men ;  and  little  children,  many 
of  them  the  sons  and  daughters  of  wealth  and  refinement, 
but  most  of  them  in  dirt  and  rags,  screamed  and  moaned 
and  petitioned  in  the  agony  of  terror  and  broken-hearted- 
ness." 

Another  writer,  telling  of  the  frenzy  of  criminality  in 
the  city  of  Chicago  during  the  fire,  says : 

"I  could  see  up  Dearborn  street  as  far  as  the  Portland 

121 


122  CARNIVALS   OF   CRIME. 

block,  and  it  was  full  of  people  all  the  distance,  swaying 
and  surging  under  the  reign  of  fire.  Around  on  Lake 
street  the  tumult  was  worse.  Here  for  the  first  time  I  be- 
held scenes  of  violence  that  made  my  blood  boil.  In  front 
of  Shay's  magnificent  dry  goods  store  a  man  loaded  a  store 
truck  with  silks  in  defiance  of  the  employes  of  the  place. 
When  he  had  piled  all  he  could  on  the  truck,  some  one  with 
a  revolver  shouted  to  him  not  to  drive  away  or  he  would 
fire  at  him,  to  which  he  replied,  Tire,  and  be  damned!' 
and  the  man  put  the  pistol  in  his  pocket  again.  Just  east 
of  this  store  there  was  at  least  a  ton  of  fancy  goods  thrown 
into  the  street,  over  which  people  and  vehicles  passed  with 
utter  indifference  until  they  took  fire.  I  saw,  myself,  a 
ragamuffin  on  the  Clark  street  bridge,  who  had  been  killed 
by  a  marble  slab  thrown  from  a  window,  with  white  kid 
gloves  on  his  hands,  and  whose  pockets  were  stuffed  with 
gold-plated  sleeve-buttons,  and  on  that  same  bridge  I  saw 
a  woman  leading  a  goat  that  was  big  with  young,  by  one 
arm,  while  under  the  other  she  carried  a  piece  of  silk. 

"Lake  street  was  rich  with  treasure,  and  hordes  of 
thieves  forced  their  way  into  the  stores  and  flung  out  the 
merchandise  to  their  fellows  in  the  street,  who  received  it 
without  disguise  and  fought  over  it  openly.  I  went  through 
the  street  to  Wabash  avenue,  and  here  the  thoroughfare 
was  utterly  choked  with  all  manner  of  goods  and  people. 
Everybody  who  had  been  forced  from  the  other  end  of  the 
town  by  the  advancing  flames  had  brought  some  article 
with  them,  and,  as  further  progress  was  delayed,  if  not 
completely  stopped  by  the  river — the  bridges  of  which  were 
also  choked — most  of  them,  in  their  panic,  abandoned  their 
burdens,  so  that  the  street  and  sidewalks  presented  the  most 
astonishing  wreck.  Valuable  oil-paintings,  books,  pet  ani- 
mals, musical  instruments,  toys,  mirrors,  and  bedding  were 


CARNIVALS  OF  CRIME.  123 

trampled  under  foot.  Added  to  this,  the  goods  from  the 
stores  had  been  hauled  out  and  had  taken  fire,  and  the 
crowd,  breaking  into  a  liquor  establishment,  were  yelling 
with  the  fury  of  demons,  as  they  brandished  champagne 
and  brandy  bottles.  The  brutality  and  horror  of  the  scene 
made  it  sickening.  A  fellow  standing  on  a  piano  declared 
that  the  fire  was  the  friend  of  the  poor  man.  He  wanted 
everybody  to  help  themselves  to  the  best  liquor  he  could 
get,  and  continued  to  yell  from  the  piano  until  some  one, 
as  drunk  as  himself,  flung  a  bottle  at  him  and  knocked  him 
off.  In  this  chaos  were  hundreds  of  children,  wailing  and 
crying  for  their  parents.  One  little  girl,  in  particular,  I 
saw,  whose  golden  hair  was  loose  down  her  back  and  caught 
fire.  She  ran  screaming  past  me,  and  somebody  threw  a 
glass  of  liquor  upon  her,  which  flared  up  and  covered  her 
with  a  blue  flame." 

The  Chicago  Times-Herald  says  of  the  criminality  that 
appears  in  association  with  disaster: 

The  worst  specimens  of  human  nature  are  seen  at  their 
wickedest  in  cities  just  after  some  terrible  calamity  has 
befallen,  as  in  Galveston.  Innocent  people  involved  in  the 
calamity,  but  who  still  live,  are  for  the  time  not  them- 
selves, and  some  go  mad  or  are  made  helpless  in  their  de- 
spair. Criminal  people  are  as  much  affected  in  their 
minds,  but  instead  of  themselves  being  overcome  and  ren- 
dered inactive  by  terror,  they  are  then  more  active  and 
desperate  than  before — they  become  in  very  fact,  probably, 
insane  criminals.  At  Galveston  this  peculiar  indulgence 
in  criminality,  in  the  presence  of  the  awful,  was  marked  as 
it  never  was  before  in  this  country,  and  many  citizens  are 
reminded  by  it  of  criminal  occurrences  here  while  the  city 
was  in  smoking  ruins  in  1871. 


124  CARNIVALS  OF  CRIME. 

Criminals  here  labored,  in  one  way,  under  a  disad- 
vantage for  the  reason  that  the  track  of  the  great  fire  was 
too  hot  for  them.  They  could  not  possibly  begin  their 
work  of  plunder  immediately  after  the  fire  had  passed,  but 
after  the  ruins  had  taken  a  few  days  for  partial  cooling 
those  bent  on  highway  robbery  possessed  every  advantage. 
The  burned  streets  were  mostly  impassable  to  teams,  and 
foot  passengers  did  not  easily  find  their  way  along  them. 
Robbers,  who  were  possible  assassins,  lurked  amid  the 
heaps  of  stones  and  bricks  of  fallen  buildings  for  easy 
prey.  Some  hold-up  case  was  reported  every  hour  and 
rumors  of  assassinations  were  rife,  though  mostly  un- 
founded. Panic  seized  on  the  people.  There  was  the  same 
kind  of  mental  distress  felt  here  that  agonized  the  people 
of  Galveston.  There  was  less  cause  for  it  in  Chicago  than 
there  was  in  the  awfully  stricken  Gulf  city,  but  still  there 
was  cause.  Men,  and  women,  too,  who  had  business  were 
obliged  to  go  to  and  from  the  burnt  district,  many  times 
taking,  as  they  supposed,  their  lives  in  their  hands.  Hun- 
dreds of  collapsed  stores  still  had  unburnt  goods  buried  in 
the  ruins,  and  a  thousand  safes,  all  thought  to  contain 
treasure,  had  not  been  opened  since  their  closing  the  night 
before  the  fire,  and  criminals  by  digging  down  to  them 
might  perhaps  work  in  security.  Guards  in  most  cases 
were  placed  over  the  safes  by  the  proprietors,  but  some  of 
these  were  attacked  by  robbers,  or  so  constant  rumor  had  it, 
and  so  the  revived  newspapers  printed  it.  Yes,  there  was 
cause  enough  for  panic  fear  of  criminals  in  Chicago  after 
the  great  fire  of  1871. 

The  happening  which,  more  than  any  other,  alarmed  the 
timid  among  the  inhabitants  was  the  opening  of  the  prison 
cells  in  the  courthouse  and  letting  the  criminals  of  all  de- 


CARNIVALS  OF  CRIME.  125 

grees — some  murderers — loose  into  the  streets.  Captain 
Hickey  was  in  charge  of  the  police  quarters  at  the  time ; 
the  same  Captain  Hickey  who  was  afterward  chief  of  po- 
lice, and  who  died  only  recently.  His  account  of 
what  occurred  there  in  that  awful  time  was  that  the  fire 
had  communicated  with  the  roof  and  dome  several  times, 
only  to  be  extinguished.  Finally  it  caught  such  a  hold 
that  the  tower  had  to  be  abandoned.  The  great  bell,  which 
had  been  clanging  fitfully  all  night,  kept  up  an  incessant 
rattle,  the  machinery  having  been  set  by  the  keeper  as  he 
descended.  The  buildings  on  all  sides  were  in  flames  and 
the  streets  filled  with  ruins  of  fallen  walls.  The  prisoners 
in  the  county  jail,  almost  suffocated  with  smoke,  ran  to 
the  doors  of  their  cells  and  shook  the  iron  bars  with  the 
strength  of  frenzy,  uttering  fearful  yells  and  impreca- 
tions as  a  horrid  fear  that  they  were  to  be  burned  alive 
possessed  them.  Seeing  that  there  was  no  hope  of  saving 
the  building  the  captain  ordered  the  cells  to  be  unlocked, 
and  in  a  moment  the  released  prisoners,  all  bareheaded, 
many  barefooted,  rushed  into  the  street  yelling  like 
demons.  But  they  were  not  many  seconds  without  cloth- 
ing. A  large  truck  loaded  with  ready-made  clothing  was 
passing  at  the  time,  and  in  an  instant  the  ex-prisoners 
swarmed  upon  it,  emptied  it  of  its  contents  and  fled  to 
remote  alleys  and  dark  passages,  where  they  disguised 
themselves  as  well-to-do  citizens. 

Even  when  the  owners  of  goods  succeeded  in  hiring  ex- 
pressmen to  convey  them  to  a  place  of  safety  there  was  no 
certainty  that  they  would  be  hauled  far,  though  as  high  as 
$50  a  load  was  paid  for  the  service.  The  wagons  were  fol- 
lowed by  howling  crowds,  who  snatched  the  goods  and 
made  away  with  them.  In  a  number  of  instances  the 


126  CARNIVALS   OF  CRIME. 

thieves  got  possession  of  the  wagons  and  drove  off  with 
rich  loads  of  dry  goods,  jewelry  or  other  merchandise  to 
out-of-the-way  places.  This  was  but  a  beginning  and  was 
in  the  early  part  of  Sunday  night.  Before  daybreak  the 
thieving  horror  had  culminated  in  scenes  of  daring  rob- 
bery. A  few  hours  earlier  the  thieves  had  seemed  to  try 
to  evade  observation  to  some  extent,  but  now,  as  the  terrors 
aggregated  into  an  intensity  of  misery,  the  thieves  of  all 
grades  dropped  all  pretense  at  concealment  and  plied  their 
calling  boldly.  They  would  storm  into  stores,  smash  away 
at  the  safes,  and,  if,  as  happily  was  most  always  the  case, 
they  failed  to  effect  an  opening,  they  would  turn  their  at- 
tention to  securing  all  of  value  from  the  stock  that  they 
could  possibly  carry  away;  when  other  thieves  would 
slouch  in  after  further  booty.  The  promise  of  a  share  in 
the  spoils  gave  them  the  assistance  of  some  express  drivers, 
who  stood  with  wagons  at  the  doors  of  stores  and  waited 
as  composedly  for  a  load  of  stolen  property  to  be  piled  in 
as  if  they  were  honestly  receiving  goods  from  the  rear  of 
stores  where  they  might  be  employed  daily.  The  wagons, 
once  heaped  up  with  the  loads,  were  driven  pell-mell 
through  the  city  and  out  into  the  country.  Remonstrances 
on  the  part  of  the  owners  availed  nothing.  They  were 
obliged  to  stand  quietly  aside  and  see  their  establishments 
cleaned  out  by  the  thieves  and  then  laid  in  ashes  by  the 
flames.  The  instances  of  robbery  were  not  confined  to  the 
sacking  of  stores.  Burglars  would  raid  into  private  dwell- 
ings that  lay  in  the  track  of  the  coming  destruction  and 
snatch  from  cupboard,  bureau,  trunk  or  mantel  anything 
of  value.  Interference  was  useless.  The  scoundrels 
hunted  in  squads,  were  inflamed  with  drink  and  flourished 
deadly  weapons.  In  some  instances  women  and  children 


CARNIVALS   OF   GRIME.  J27 

and  even  men  were  stopped  as  they  were  bearing  from  their 
homes  objects  of  especial  worth  and  the  articles  torn  from 
their  grasp  by  unresisted  gangs. 

The  wickedest  actions  of  the  wicked  took  place  just  after 
the  extinguishment  of  the  great  fire.  They  would  have  a 
renewal  of  it  and  cases  of  incendiarism  were  frequent. 
Men,  women,  and  even  children,  carried  the  incendiary 
torch.  Not  one  was  shot,  but  many  were  arrested.  Several 
of  these  were  women.  A  boy  was  detected  by  a  fireman 
in  the  setting  fire  to  a  building  in  Thirty-second  street, 
and  immediately  shot  dead.  A  negro  watchman  shot  and 
killed  a  man  who  was  firing  a  house  in  State  street  below 
Twenty-second  street.  A  woman  was  taken  in  the  act  and 
threatened  with  instant  hanging,  but  she  was  let  go.  Two 
men  were  caught  while  attempting  to  fire  a  Jesuit  church 
on  the  west  side,  and  both  were  shot  on  the  spot.  Half 
a  dozen  more  incendiaries  were  killed  in  that  section  of  the 
city.  On  Fourth  avenue,  near  to  Fourteenth  street,  a  man 
was  discovered  in  the  basement  of  a  house  with  a  torch 
in  his  hand,  and,  alarm  being  given,  he  escaped  into  the 
street  and  ran  for  his  life.  A  crowd  followed  him,  and, 
coming  near,  stoned  him  to  death.  The  spirit  of  outlawry 
continued  for  several  days  and  was  only  arrested  by  the 
coming  to  the  city  of  an  increase  to  the  military.  General 
P.  II.  Sheridan  had  but  a  small  force  at  his  headquarters, 
but  that  he  caused  to  be  used  to  good  advantage.  He  lent 
a  squad  to  the  postmaster  of  the  day,  who  required  it  to 
defend  the  improvised  postoffice  in  Eighteenth  street.  But 
more  troops  were  needed,  and  so  the  Fifth  infantry  at 
Leavenworth,  commanded  by  Colonel  Nelson  A.  Miles,  was 
ordered  hither  by  the  commander  of  the  department.  Upon 


128  CARNIVALS  OF  CRIME. 

their  arrival  there  was  great  joy  among  all  the  good  people 
of  the  city. 

It  should  be  added  that  during  all  this  time  of  trouble 
and  panic  fear  Mayor  Mason  and  all  who  were  in  au- 
thority as  city  officers  did  their  whole  duty  toward  pre- 
serving the  peace. 


CHAPTEE  VII. 

THE  TERRIBLE  NEED  OF  THE  SURVIVORS. 

Two  days  were  required  for  full  realization  of  the  pro- 
portions and  pitiful  awful  horrors  of  the  Galveston  terror. 
Hopes  that  the  first  stories  of  the  death  of  thousands  of 
persons  and  the  destruction  of  thousands  of  houses  faded 
out,  and  the  world  was  aghast,  and  from  all  quarters  came 
aid  by  wire  and  railroad  as  far  as  they  would  carry  infor- 
mation and  transportation.  Money  was  received,  relief 
trains  were  hurried  for  Galveston,  for  there  was  famine 
there,  no  water,  no  light  at  night,  and  the  thousands  of 
dead  were  so  fearful  a  mass  that  pestilence  was  threatened 
at  the  same  time;  a  swarm  of  criminals  descended  upon 
the  enormous  wreck  and  there  were  many  demoralized 
who  appeared  to  think  the  end  of  the  world  was  at  hand, 
and  robheries  and  nameless  outrages  made  up  a  surpassing 
horror.  The  nation  was  aroused.  September  10  the  fol- 
lowing telegrams  passed  between  the  White  House  and 
Texas : 

"Houston,  Texas. — William  McKinley,  President 
of  the  United  States,  Washington,  D.  C. :  I  have 
been  deputized  by  the  Mayor  and  citizens'  commit- 
tee of  Galveston  to  inform  you  that  the  city  of 
Galveston  is  in  ruins  and  certainly  many  hundreds, 
if  not  thousands,  are  dead.  The  tragedy  is  one  of 
the  most  frightful  in  recent  times.  Help  must  be  given  by 
the  State  and  Nation  or  the  suffering  will  be  appalling. 
Food,  clothing  and  money  will  be  needed  at  once.  The 

whole  south  side  of  the  city  for  three  blocks  in  front  of  the 

129 


130  NEED  OF  SURVIVORS. 

gulf  is  swept  clear  of  every  building;  the  whole  whar* 
front  is  a  wreck  and  but  few  houses  in  the  city  are  really 
habitable.  The  water  supply  is  cut  off  and  the  food  stock 
damaged  by  salt  water.  All  bridges  are  washed  away 
and  stranded  steamers  litter  the  bay.  When  I  left  this 
morning  the  search  for  bodies  had  begun.  Corpses  were 
everywhere.  Tempest  blew  eighty-four  miles  an  hour  and 
then  carried  government  instruments  away ;  at  same  time 
waters  of  gulf  were  over  the  whole  city,  having  risen'  twelve 
feet.  Water  has  now  subsided  and  the  survivors  are  left 
helpless  among  the  wreckage,  cut  off  from  the  world  en 
cept  by  boat.  EICHAED  SPILLAGE." 

"Washington,  D.  C. — The  Hon.  J.  D.  Sayers,  Governor 
of  Texas,  Austin,  Tex. :  The  reports  of  the  great  calamity 
which  has  befallen  Gal^eston  and  other  points  on  the  coast 
of  Texas  excite  my  profound  sympathy  for  the  sufferers, 
as  they  will  stir  the  hearts  of  the  whole  country.  What- 
ever help  it  is  possible  to  give  shall  be  gladly  extended. 
Have  directed  the  Secretary  of  War  to  supply  rations  and 
tents  upon  your  request.  WILLIAM  McKINLEY." 

"Austin,  Tex.— The  President,  Washington,  D.  C.: 
Very  many  thanks  for  your  telegram.  Your  action  will  be 
greatly  appreciated  and  gratefully  remembered  by  the 
people  of  Texas.  I  have  this  day  requested  the  Secretary 
of  War  to  forward  rations  and  tents  to  Galveston. 

"JOSEPH  D.  SAYERS, 

"Governor  of  Texas." 

President  McKinley's  telegram  to  Gov.  Sayers  was  sent 
also  to  the  Mayor  of  Galveston. 

Miss  Clara  Barton  issued  the  following  appeal : 

"The  National  Red  Cross  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  is  ap 


NEED  OF  SURVIVORS.  131 

ipeaied  to  on  all  sides  for  help,  and  for  the  privilege  to 
lielp  in  the  terrible  disaster  which  has  befallen  southern 
and  central  Texas.  It  remembers  the  floods  of  Ohio  and 
Mississippi,  of  Johnstown  and  of  Port  Royal,  with  their 
thousands  of  dead  and  months  of  suffering  and  needed 
relief,  and  turns  confidently  to  the  people  of  the  United 
States,  whose  sympathy  has  never  failed  to  help  provide 
the  relief  that  is  asked  of  it  now.  Nineteen  years  of  ex- 
perience on  nearly  as  many  fields  renders  the  obligations 
of  the  Red  Cross  all  the  greater.  The  people  have  long 
learned  its  work,  and  it  must  again  open  its  accustomed 
avenues  for  their  charities.  It  does  not  beseech  them  to 
give,  for  their  sympathies  are  as  deep  and  their  humanity 
as  great  as  its  own,  but  it  pledges  to  them  faithful,  old- 
time  Red  Cross  relief  work  among  the  stricken  victims  of 
these  terrible  fields  of  suffering  and  death.  He  gives  twice 
who  gives  quickly. 

"Contributions  may  be  wired  or  sent  by  mail  to  our  treas- 
urer, William  J.  Flather,  assistant  cashier  of  the  Riggs 
National  bank,  Washington,  D,  C. ;  also  to  the  local  Red 
Cross  committees  of  the  Red  Cross  India  famine  fund  at 
156  Fifth  avenue,  New  York  city,  and  the  Louisiana  Red 
Cross  Society  of  New  Orleans,  both  of  which  will  report 
all  donations  for  immediate  acknowledgment  by  us. 

"CLARA  BARTON, 
"President  American  National  Red  Cross." 

The  following  statement  of  conditions  at  Galveston  and 
appeal  for  aid  was  issued  by  the  local  relief  committee : 

"Galveston,  Tex.,  Sept.  11. — A  conservative  estimate 
of  the  loss  of  life  is  that  it  will  reach  3,000.  At  least  5,000 
families  are  shelterless  and  wholly  destitute.  The  entire 


132  NEED  OF  SURVIVORS. 

remainder  of  the  population  is  suffering  in  greater  or 
less  degree.  Not  a  single  church,  school  or  charitable  in- 
stitution, of  which  Galveston  had  so  many,  is  left  intact. 
Not  a  building  escaped  damage  and  half  the  whole  num- 
ber were  entirely  obliterated.  There  is  immediate  need 
for  food,  clothing  and  household  goods  of  all  kinds.  If 
nearby  cities  will  open  asylums  for  women  and  children 
the  situation  will  be  greatly  relieved.  Coast  cities  should 
send  us  water  as  well  as  provisions,  including  kerosene 
oil,  gasoline  and  candles. 

"W.   C.   JONES,  Mayor. 
"M.  LASKER, 
"President  Island  City  Savings  Bank. 

"J.  D.  SKINNER, 
"President  Cotton  Exchange. 

"C.  H.  McMASTER, 
"For  Chamber  of  Commerce. 
"R.  G.  LOWE, 
"Manager  Galveston  News. 
"CLARENCE  OWSLEY, 
"Manager  Galveston  Tribune." 

The  Mayor  of  Chicago  issued  a  proclamation  in  answer 
to  an  appeal  from  the  Mayor  of  Houston : 

"Chicago,  Sept.  10,  1900.— To  the  Citizens  of  the  City 
of  Chicago :  I  am  in  receipt  of  a  telegram  from  the  Mayor 
of  Houston,  Tex.,  as  follows :  'Galveston  cut  off  from  all 
communication.  Great  suffering  and  loss  of  life  known  to 
exist  there;  damage  beyond  description.  Aid  should  be 
sent*  to  Houston,  which  is  the  nearest  base  of  supplies  and 
for  furnishing  help.  Have  good  organization  effected/ 

"From  this  telegram  it  is  apparent  that  the  sufferers 
of  the  recent  windstorm  which  proved  so  disastrous  to  life 


NEED  OF  SURVIVORS.  135 

and  property  in  Galveston  and  other  Texas  towns  are  in 
need  of  immediate  assistance,  and  I  would  request  that  all 
citizens  respond  as  liberally  and  promptly  as  possible  to  the 
call  for  relief. 

"All  contributions  sent  to  this  office  will  be  forwarded 
by  me  to  the  relief  committee  at  Houston,  Tex. 

"CARTER  H.  HARBISON,  Mayor." 

Governor  Sayers  of  Texas  applied  to  the  War  Depart- 
ment for  10,000  tents  and  50,000  rations  for  immediate 
use  for  the  sufferers  from  Saturday's  storm.  Acting  Sec- 
retary Meiklejohn  issued  an  order  granting  the  request. 
The  Mayor  of  Houston,  Texas,  made  this  appeal : 
"Our  sister  city  of  Galveston  has  been  visited  by  a 
frightful  hurricane,  and  is  still  cut  off  from  all  rail  and 
wire  communication  with  the  outside  world.  Refugees 
bring  alarming  reports  of  great  loss  of  lif  ~  and  property. 
The  newspapers  will  give  extended  accounts  of  this  awful 
calamity  which  place  it  among  the  most  disastrous  of  mod- 
ern times.  The  people  of  many  towns  and  villages  are 
now  in  sore  distress,  and  as  further  reports  come  in  the 
death  list  grows  and  the  damage  to  property  increases.  The 
stock  is  killed  and  the  crops  are  ruined.  We  urgently 
ask  your  liberal  and  immediate  assistance.  Houston  was 
in  the  track  of  the  storm,  but  will  take  care  of  her  in- 
jured and  help  those  more  seriously  affected.  Contribu- 
tions sent  to  either  of  the  undersigned  will  be  grate- 
fully received  and  judiciously  expended. 

"S.  H.  BRASHEAR, 

"Mayor. 

"B.  A.  REISNER, 
"Chairman  Relief  Committee." 


136  NEED  OF  SURVIVORS. 

Archbishop  Feehan  forwarded  $1,000  to  the  relief  fund, 
and  issued  the  following  notice  to  all  pastors  in  his  dio- 
cese: 

"Rev.  and  Dear  Sir:  An  appalling  calamity  has  hap- 
pened in  Galveston,  Texas;  one  that  appeals  to  the  sym- 
pathy and  charity  of  all  the  people.  Will  you  kindly  have 
a  collection  made  at  the  masses  in  your  church  on  Sunday, 
16th  inst.,  in  aid  of  this  great  distress.  The  returns  should 
be  sent  to  the  Chancellor  without  delay,  as  the  needs  are 
pressing.  I  remain,  Rev.  and  Dear  Sir,  yours  faithfully 
in  Christ,  P.  A.  FEEHAN, 

"Archbishop  of  Chicago. 

"F.  J.  BARRY,  Chancellor." 

The  Mayor  of  New  York  sent  the  following  telegram  to 
Mayor  Brashear  of  Houston,  Texas : 

"Hon.  S.  E.  Brashear,  Mayor,  Houston,  Tex. :  In  re- 
sponse to  your  telegram  I  have  issued  a  call  to  the  people 
of  the  city  of  New  York  to  contribute  to  the  relief  of  those 
afflicted  by  the  disaster  at  Galveston.  Please  express  to  the 
Mayor  of  Galveston  the  profound  sympathy  of  the  people 
of  New  York  for  the  people  of  Galveston  in  this  hour  of 
their  distress.  ROBERT  A.  VAN  WYCK, 

"Mayor." 

Cablegrams  were  exchanged  by  Emperor  William  of 
Germany  and  President  McKinley,  the  Emperor's  mes- 
sage being  as  follows : 

Stettin,  Sept.  13,  1900.— President  of  the  United 
States  of  America,  Washington :  I  wish  to  convey  to  your 
excellency  the  expression  of  my  deep  felt  sympathy  with 
the  misfortune  that  has  befallen  the  town  and  harbor  of 
Galveston  and  many  other  ports  of  the  coast,  and  I  mourn 


NEED   OF  SURVIVORS.  137 

with  you  and  the  people  of  the  United  States  over  the 
terrible  loss  of  life  and  property  caused  by  the  hurricane, 
but  the  magnitude  of  the  disaster  is  equaled  by  the  in- 
domitable spirit  of  the  citizens  of  the  new  world,  who, 
in  their  long  and  continued  struggle  with  the  adverse 
forces  of  nature,  have  proved  themselves  to  be  victorious. 
I  sincerely  hope  that  Galveston  will  rise  again  to  new 
prosperity.  WILLIAM  I.  R. 

The  President's  reply  was: 

Executive  Mansion,  Sept.  14,  1900. — His  Imperial  and 
Royal  Majesty,  Wilhelm  II.,  Stettin,  Germany:  Your 
majesty's  message  of  condolence  and  sympathy  is  very 
grateful  to  the  American  government  and  people  and  in 
their  name  as  well  as  on  behalf  of  the  many  thousands  who 
have  suffered  bereavement  and  irreparable  loss  in  the  Gal- 
veston disaster  I  thank  you  most  earnestly. 

WILLIAM  M'KINLEY. 

It  was  a  week  after  the  storm  that  the  people  of  Gal- 
veston seemed  to  realize  their  troubles.  A  most  touching 
account  of  this  was  written  by  the  correspondent  of  the 
Kansas  City  Star.  We  quote : 

"When  death  comes  into  a  man's  home  he  feels  awed 
and  subdued.  He  bows  his  head,  the  tears  flow  silently,  or 
he  goes  dry-eyed  and  decently  about  the  duties  of  the  hour 
of  affliction.  He  publishes  a  death  notice,  sends  telegrams 
to  his  relatives,  selects  a  coffin,  names  the  pall  bearers,  com- 
forts the  other  members  of  the  family  and  tries  to  control 
himself  as  he  listens  to  the  burial  service  and  follows  the 
hearse  to  the  cemetery  to  see  the  earth  heaped  upon  the 
coffin. 


138  NEED   OF  SURVIVORS. 

"On  the  way  back  lie  still  feels  chastened.  The  sounds 
of  the  streets,  the  streaming  sunset,  all  seem  to  be  outside 
of  the  inner  world  of  his  thoughts.  Days,  blank  days,  pass 
over  him.  Then  comes  a  moment  when  he  wakes  from 
sleep  by  the  sunshine  of  broad  daylight  flooding  his  cham- 
ber. He  is  confused  for  a  moment.  He  remembers  his 
loss  and  thinks :  Have  I  just  awakened  from  a  bad  dream  ? 
He  goes  to  the  window  and  looks  out.  The  day  is  beau- 
tiful, and  peaceful  and  quiet.  The  noises  of  traffic  are 
stilled,  although  the  sun  is  far  up  in  the  heavens. 

"The  man  realizes  that,  wearied  to  his  very  heart  and 
soul,  he  has  slept  twelve  or  fourteen  hours.  He  sees  a  group 
going  to  church.  The  children  in  smart  white  frocks,  the 
old  people  carrying  Bibles  and  hymn-books.  It  is  Sunday. 
A  wave  of  desolation  sweeps  over  him.  Gone ;  gone  never 
to  come  back.  Then  the  man  realizes  that  the  loved  face, 
the  smile,  are  no  more.  The  man  feels  the  fountain  of  his 
tears  give  way.  He  flings  himself  face  downward  upon 
the  bed  and  the  family  treads  softly  outside  as  they  hear 
his  sobs  through  the  quiet  house. 

"So  it  was  with  Galveston.  It  had  looked  death  in  the 
face.  The  curtain  of  the  forms  of  well-ordered  life  had 
been  torn  away  from  the  weakness  and  the  corruption  of 
the  human  flesh.  Galveston  had  seen  the  death  agony 
and  had  looked  into  the  grave  after  the  burial.  It  had 
seen  death,  yet  it  had  borne  itself  with  fortitude,  had  tried 
to  perform  the  duties  of  the  hour  of  affliction  calmly  and 
had  looked  dry-eyed  upon  the  dull  red  fires  on  the  beach 
that  burst  up  every  hour  or  so  and  diminished  only  to 
blaze  up  again.  Galveston  had  tried  to  appear  composed 
and  brave. 

"Sunday  in  Galveston  was  beautiful.     The  sky  was  un- 


NEED   OF  SURVIVORS.  139 

speakably  serene  and  smiling.  The  air  was  mild  and 
gentle.  Galveston  had  deeply  and  profoundly  slept  and 
awoke  with  a  start.  It  looked  out  of  the  window  upon  what 
it  remembered  as  a  beautiful  city  with  impressive  institu- 
tions and  homes  set  amid  Chinaberry  and  salt  cedar  and 
live  oak  and  cottonwood  trees  and  shrubbery  of  oleander. 
But  the  scene  Galveston  looked  upon  on  Sunday  morning 
was  one  of  chaos.  Shattered  buildings,  gaping  walls, 
fallen  trees,  lying  brown  and  dead,  amid  masses  of  tim- 
bers, as  if  a  maelstrom  had  twisted  them  together.  All 
this  Galveston  saw  in  the  streaming  sunshine  and  then 
came  the  realization.  Face  to  face  with  death  is  awesome, 
seeing  what  this  human  flesh  is  like  after  the  spark  is  both 
awesome  and  horrible. 

"The  saying  'she  was  beautiful  in  death'  was  shown  to 
be  a  mockery,  a  delusion,  a  mere  saying,  for  beauty 
lasts  only  a  few  hours  after  death,  except  through  the  ef- 
forts of  art.  This  was  both  awesome  and  horrible,  but  it 
was  not  sorrow.  That  is  another  emotion. 

"To  realize  what  has  happened,  after  it  is  over,  is  sor- 
row, and  at  Galveston  many  wept.  To-day  the  people  are 
heart-broken. 

"Religious  services  were  held  in  some  of  the  churches 
that  remained  and  in  private  houses.  But  the  people  could 
not  bear  it.  The  hymns  stopped  for  weeping.  The  sound 
of  praise  made  them  turn  about  and  put  their  hands  to 
their  faces  and  go  away.  At  Grace  Episcopal  church,  at 
Thirty-sixth  street  and  Avenue  L,  the  people  came  to  the 
church  door  and  paused.  Then  walked  on. 

"The  most  pitiful  thing  in  Galveston  was  the  distress 
of  persons  who  were  fairly  well  off,  but  did  not  have 
money  in  the  bank,  and  whose  homes  and  sources  of  in- 


140  NEED   OF  SURVIVORS. 

come  are  gone.  An  example  was  that  of  an  official  of 
Galveston  county,  a  big,  brawny  man  who  went  about 
tearfully  trying  to  sell  the  tombstone  of  his  child  to  get 
enough  money  to  clothe  his  family  and  send  them  out  of 
the  city.  This  man  had  put  all  his  money  into  a  fine  home, 
except  $3,000  for  an  elegant  monument  over  the  grave 
of  a  child  who  died  some  years  ago.  He  put  the  heavy 
monument  over  the  child's  tomb  so  that  it  could  not  be 
washed  away.  The  soil  of  Galveston  does  not  permit  dig- 
ging more  than  four  feet.  Then  there  is  salt  water.  This 
man  was  bitter  in  soul.  He  would  not  go  to  the  ward 
relief  stations  and  stand  in  line  with  negroes  for  rations. 
His  home  was  destroyed  and  his  wife  and  children  were 
without  clothes  fit  for  going  out.  He  went  about  offering 
the  monument  in  the  cemetery  for  sale,  but  in  vain.  The 
poor  have  all  the  food  and  ice  they  can  use,  but  those  who 
were  not  poor  are  suffering. 

"While  the  stores  of  Galveston  were  open  and  the  res- 
taurants did  business  soon  after  the  storm,  there  was  great 
difficulty  to  get  anyone  to  do  any  special  work,  such  as 
print  a  sign  or  some  cards.  It  was  still  harder  to  hire 
anybody  by  the  day.  The  small  boy  had  lost  his  interest 
in  pieces  of  money  that  would  otherwise  have  caused  his 
eyes  to  bulge  out.  Employes  of  various  stores  did  their 
regular  work  or  cleaned  the  stores  of  wreck  and  water  or 
strewed  goods  in  the  street,  but  to  get  boys  to  post  placards 
or  distribute  dodgers  was  seemingly  hopeless.  The  corre- 
spondent for  the  Star  had  to  print  the  signs  himself  to 
announce  that  registration  of  names  of  survivors  from 
Kansas  City  territory  had  been  opened,  and  then  had  to 
tack  them  up  about  the  wrecked  town. 

"An  advertisement  was  placed  in  the  Galveston  News 


NEED   OF  SURVIVORS.  141 

as  soon  as  the  paper  felt  like  accepting  business.  The  Gal- 
veston  Tribune,  an  afternoon  paper,  was  reduced  to  the 
size  of  a  four-page  handbill,  but  kindly  printed  the  Star's 
advertisement,  which  read : 

"  'Names  of  survivors,  originally  or  recently  from  Mis- 
souri, Kansas,  Nebraska,  Oklahoma,  Indian  territory  or 
Arkansas  will  be  wired  at  once  for  publication  in  the 
Kansas  City  Star  if  registered  at  the  Tremont  hotel  cigar 
stand/ 

"  'If  we  lived  in  New  York  we  can't  register?'  asked 
a  woman  wistfully,  gazing  at  the  sign.  'Can't  a  poor  old 
Louisianan,  who  has  lost  all  but  his  life,  sign  the  reg- 
ister ?'  asked  another." 


CHAPTEK  VIIL 

INCIDENTS   OF   THE   GBEAT   TERROR. 

A  letter  that  tells  the  story  of  the  Galveston  stroke  of 
fate  was  that  of  Miss  Nellie  Carey,  a  stenographer  in 
Galveston,  whose  parents  reside  at  5408  Lake  avenue, 
Chicago.  She  had  just  returned  to  her  Galveston  situa- 
tion when  the  storm  struck  the  city.  She  wrote  at  Gal- 
vestion,  Wednesday,  September  12,  to  her  parents : 

"Have  not  had  a  minute  to  write  and  cannot  collect 
my  thoughts  to  tell  you  of  the  horrible  disaster  down  here. 
Thousands  of  dead  in  the  streets — the  gulf  and  bay  streWn 
with  dead  bodies.  The  whole  island  demolished.  Not 
a  drop  of  water — food  scarce.  If  help  does  not  reach  us 
soon  there  will  be  great  starvation  for  everybody. 

"The  dead  are  not  being  identified  at  all — they  throw 
them  on  drays  and  take  them  to  barges,  where  they  are 
loaded  like  cordwood,  and  taken  out  to  sea  to  be  cast  into 
the  waves,  now  peaceful,  which  were  so  hungry  for  them 
in  their  anger. 

"I  was  at  the  wharf  this  morning  for  a  short  time  and 
saw  three  barges  loaded  with  their  grewsome  freight.  The 
bodies  are  frightful,  every  one  nearly  nude.  God  alone 
knows  who  they  are. 

"The  bay  is  full  of  dead  cattle  and  horses,  together 
with  human  corpses,  blistering  in  the  hot  sun.  It  will  be 
impossible  to  remove  the  dead  from  the  debris  for  weeks — 
the  whole  island  is  frightful.  I  saw  thirty-eight  bodies 
taken  from  one  house.  Every  one  is  striving  to  get  the 
bodies  buried  for  fear  of  the  plague. 

142 


INCIDENTS  OF  THE  TERROR.         143 

"I  never  expected  to  get  out  alive,  but  thank  God,  not 
one  of  us  was  killed.  We  were  driven  back  to  the  stairs, 
and  up,  stair  by  stair,  by  the  great  waves.  The  wind  was 
blowing  over  a  hundred  miles  an  hour,  and  the  rain  fell 
in  torrents.  Never  shall  I  forget  the  sight  as  darkness 
settled  upon  us.  I  thought  of  you,  papa  and  mamma,  and 
prayed  that  you  might  be  comforted.  Our  roof  is  now 
gone,  the  walls  have  fallen  around  us,  but  we  still  have 
a  floor  and 1  can't  tell  you,  it  is  too  horrible. 

"I  was  nearly  drowned  getting  home  from  the  office  at 
4  o'clock  Saturday  afternoon.  Mrs.  Whitman  is  almost 
crazy  and  is  in  a  dangerous  condition.  I  have  lost  every- 
thing ;  am  now  wearing  clothes  borrowed  from  those  who 
were  more  fortunate.  The  stench  is  terrible. 

"Thousands  of  horses  and  cattle  without  owners  are 
in  the  most  pitiable  condition  imaginable;  not  a  drop  of 
water  for  them  to  drink  since  Saturday  morning.  And 
the  people — I  wonder  that  everybody  is  not  mad  at  the 
horrors.  No  account  can  exaggerate  it.  It  is  absolutely 
necessary  that  everybody  in  the  United  States  do  what 
they  can. 

"Nearly  all  our  help  at  Clarke  &  Courts  are  drowned 
— Mr.  Hansinger,  his  whole  family,  our  other  bookkeeper 
and  a  number  of  the  girls.  The  town  is  under  martial 
law  to  protect  it  from  the  mob.  Last  night  a  negro  was 
arrested  with  ten  fingers  in  his  pockets,  with  valuable 
rings  on  them.  Mr.  Fayling,  at  our  house,  is  in  command 
of  the  protective  force.  They  have  had  to  shoot  many 
to  keep  the  horrible  ghouls  in  control.  Eddie  Rogers  is 
next  in  command,  and  is  doing  noble  work.  I  have  done 
what  I  could  to  help  the  dying  and  wounded. 

"We  were  on  the  highest  point  of  ground  in  Galveston. 


INCIDENTS   OF  THE  TERROR. 

That  is  all  that  saved  us.  Eor  blocks  and  blocks,  reach- 
ing into  miles,  not  a  house  remains ;  not  a  building  but  is 
completely  demolished — houses  just  torn  board  from 
board  and  piled  up.  I  have  climbed  over  wreckage  forty 
feet  high  in  the  streets  to  get  to  places.  I  think  we  were 
more  fortunate  than  any  one  else  in  town.  I  think  not 
one  was  killed,  though  our  escape  was  narrow.  With 
the  exception  of  Mrs.  Whitman  all  were  calm,  though  I 
reckon  everybody  quaked  inside — I  know  I  did. 

"Thursday. — Am  well.  Had  something  to  eat  this 
morning,  and  a  little  rainwater.  Coffee  is  plenty,  but 
water  scarce.  To-day  the  flesh  slips  off  the  bodies  as  they 
take  hold  to  drag  them  from  the  ruins.  They  are  piling 
them  in  great  heaps  now  and  burning  them.  The  horrors 
multiply.  I  have  seen  men  shot  down  in  the  streets  by  the 
soldiers.  The  stench  is  untold.  Last  night  the  awful  smell 
kept  us  awake  although  we  were  utterly  exhausted.  It 
fills  your  throat  and  mouth,  and  makes  your  head  ache  so. 

"The  horrible  experiences  it  will  take  years  to  tell  and 
more  than  a  lifetime  to  forget.  If  you  could  be  here  you 
would  feel  that  your  anxiety  was  nothing.  It  is  so  pitiable 
to  see  husbands,  with  a  look  of  despair  in  their  eyes, 
searching  for  their  wives  and  children;  wives  for  their 
loved  ones ;  and,  most  pitiable  of  all,  the  comparatively  few 
children — although  they  are  enough,  God  knows,  to  be 
left  orphans  and  homeless — looking  into  every  one's  face 
with  frightened,  appealing  eyes.  It  is  heartrending. 

"Now  I  am  much  better  off.  I  am  safe,  so  please  don't 
worry.  I  hope  to  hear  from  you  soon. 

"Best  love  and  kisses  to  both,  from 

"NELLIE." 


INCIDENTS   OF  THE  TERROR.         145 

We  quote  notes  from  a  stricken  city  from  the  Kansas 
City  Star,  saying : 

"The  accounts  of  the  catastrophe  at  Galveston,  written 
in  the  midst  of  the  wreck,  were  like  photographs  which 
failed  to  develop. 

"  'Boys,  I  can't  write  this  thing  !'  said  one  of  a  group  ;>f 
newspaper  writers  at  Galveston. 

"  'My  mind  is  benumbed,'  said  another.  'I  have  miser- 
ably failed  to  tell  the  story.' 

"  'I  expect  to  be  dismissed  by  wire,'  exclaimed  a  third. 

"These  men  were  not  joking.  They  were  all  skillful, 
experienced  newspaper  men,  who  had  hastened  to  the 
scene  of  catastrophe  to  describe  what  they  saw  to  the  wait- 
ing world.  But  when  they  saw  what  had  happened  they 
felt  their  utter  inability  to  write  an  adequate  picture  of  it. 
The  stupefaction  of  many  thousands  of  persons  seemed 
to  be  infectious.  There  were  thousands  of  narrow  escapes, 
thousands  of  deeds  of  heroism,  thousands  of  instances 
of  helping  others  and  thousands  of  pitiful  deaths,  but 
all  belonged  to  the  one  element  of  tempest,  flood,  dark- 
ness, death.  The  newspaper  men  floundered  in  an  endless 
ocean  of  material." 

There  were  conflicting  stories  and  theories  about  the 
disaster.  One  of  them  was  that  the  wind  from  the  north 
had  driven  the  waters  of  the  gulf  out  to  sea.  It  was  said 
that  a  man  could  wade  across  the  bayou  at  Houston  on 
Saturday.  This  tortuous  bayou  permits  traffic  in  light 
draft  boats  and  barges  between  Houston  and  Galveston.  It 
is  called,  simply,  the  Bayou. 

For  years  the  people  of  Galveston  have  schooled  them- 
selves to  believe  that  the  day  when  a  great  tempest  blew 
seaward  a  long  time,  driving  out  the  tide,  and  then,  sud- 


146         INCIDENTS  OF  THE   TERROR. 

denly  letting  the  waters  go,  would  never  come.  There  was 
also  a  theory  that  the  position  of  Galveston  prevented  it 
from  ever  being  seized  in  the  teeth  of  a  West  Indian  hur- 
ricane, blowing  the  waters  inland  in  a  great  wave. 

Storms  have  come  and  the  waters  have  covered  the 
town  and  Galveston  still  stood.  A  man  in  the  flush  of 
health  and  strength  knows  that  he  must  die,  some  day, 
but  this  knowledge  does  not  worry  him.  He  enjoys  life. 
Just  so,  Galveston  was  not  worried.  Although  it  knew 
that  the  gulf  was  treacherous,  it  enjoyed  life,  for  Galves- 
ton was  rich  and  beautiful.  If  the  combination  of  the 
elements  ever  came  it  might  be  centuries  hence,  and  then 
Galveston,  a  great  metropolis,  would  be  protected  by  a 
sea  wall,  one  of  the  wonders  of  the  world. 

But,  as  some  men  worry  beforehand  about  their  time  to 
die,  so  some  built  against  the  danger.  One  very  rich  man 
who  loved  to  live  near  the  beach  and  see  the  faraway  dip 
of  the  undulating,  glistening  waters  of  the  treacherous 
gulf,  the  sail  on  the  horizon  and  the  breaker  that  rolled 
to  and  fro  forever,  built  against  the  evil  day.  He  erected 
a  terrace  of  masonry  and  «arth  and  put  his  home  on  the 
top  and  built  a  strong  wall  around  it  all  and  the  people 
called  his  home  "The  Fort."  But  it  was  too  near  the 
beach.  When  the  gulf  leaped  it  blotted  out  the  rich  man's 
citadel  and  the  poor  man's  cottage. 

The  Gulf  of  Mexico  has  been  likened  to  the  sleeping 
tiger.  A  better  simile  would  be  that  of  a  tame  tiger  that 
glistens  in  the  sunlight,  that  blinks  in  a  friendly  way  and 
purrs  along  the  frail  shore.  But  when  the  tiger  grows 
restless  and  draws  back  into  the  cage  he  is  getting  ready 
to  leap. 

Galveston  was  rich  and  beautiful.     Earth  had  been 


INCIDENTS   OF  TEE  TERROR. 

brought  even  from  the  West  Indies  and  strange  trees  and 
shrubs  had  been  trained  to  grow  on  what  was  a  barren 
sand  island  years  ago.  The  Garden  Verein,  a  club  house 
in  a  bower  of  tropical  foliage,  was  where  youth  and  beauty 
assembled  in  the  evenings,  where  the  music  had  the  under 
note  of  the  murmur  of  the  gulf  and  where  the  breezes  of 
the  sea  cooled  the  brow  of  the  dancers. 

Galveston  was  remarkable,  too,  for  the  many  schools, 
asylums  and  hospitals  reared  by  its  wealthy  citizens  and 
called  by  their  names.  These  apparently  massive  as  well 
as  stately  structures  gave  an  air  of  security  to  the  city. 
They  were  an  evidence  of  confidence,  wealth,  goodness  and 
peace.  These  great  stone  and  brick  structures  contrasted 
quaintly  with  the  light  wooden  dwellings  of  the  city. 

The  town  was  distinctly  American  in  its  appearance, 
yet  semi-tropical  in  its  architecture.  The  houses  stood 
upon  slender  brick  piers  or  wooden  pins,  but  the  lattice 
work  and  the  beautiful  plants  hid  this  suggestion  of  a 
preparation  for  flood.  The  people  said  this  was  to  keep 
the  houses  cool.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  never,  within  the 
memory  of  man,  had  Galveston  island  been  engulfed — 
there  had  been  inundations,  but  they  were  nothing.  Gal- 
veston differentiated  between  inundation  and  wave.  Inun- 
dation might  come — the  wave  was  another  thing. 

When  the  weight  of  the  atmosphere  does  not  hold  up  the 
thin  column  of  mercury  there  is  danger  ahead.  The 
heavier  atmosphere,  backed  up  somewhere,  must  inevita- 
bly rush  into  the  area  of  lighter  air.  Would  the  great 
wind  sweep  around  and  drive  the  waters  out  and  then  roll 
them  back  ?  The  people  said  to  each  other  that  it  would 
not. 

The  gale  of  Saturday  morning  became  a  howling  tern- 


148         INCIDENTS  OF  THE  TERROR. 

pest  at  1  o'clock.  While  the  hurricane  was  tearing  the 
town  to  pieces,  while  roofs  were  swept  off  and  verandas 
were  torn  away  and  walls  cracked,  the  awful  question 
arose  if  it  was  the  time  when,  in  the  course  of  centuries, 
the  tiger  would  leap  ? 

Schooled  for  years  to  decry  fear  of  the  great  catastrophe, 
hundreds  of  men  remained  in  the  business  part  of  the  city 
and  did  not  go  home  to  their  families.  Others,  most 
anxious  about  their  goods,  remained  to  protect  them  from 
the  water.  Thus  it  came  to  pass  that  some  men  who  went 
home  to  their  families  were  lost  in  their  homes,  while 
others,  who  remained  to  look  after  their  worldly  goods, 
were  saved. 

The  people  of  Galveston  were  all  acquainted  with  cer- 
tain higher  ground,  which  a  stranger  cannot  see,  for  the 
whole  place  looks  as  flat  as  a  table.  In  the  early  afternoon 
on  Saturday  files  of  men,  women  and  children  were  seen 
making  their  way  to  the  "ridges,"  as  they  called  the 
ground  a  few  feet  higher  than  the  general  level  of  the 
island.  They  were  taken  in  by  those  who  lived  there  until 
many  houses  contained  thirty  to  fifty  persons.  Some  went 
in  carriages  and  some  rode  in  the  one-mule  trucks  which 
are  a  feature  of  the  cotton  regions.  These  trucks  are 
heavy  frames  set  on  two  wheels.  The  driver  stands  up, 
holding  to  an  upright  pin  set  in  the  frame,  or  sits  down 
sideways  close  to  the  shafts.  The  people  stood  up,  holding 
to  the  pins  and  to  each  other.  All  the  way  from  one  foot 
to  three  feet  of  water  covered  the  streets  at  this  time.  It 
ran  through  the  streets  like  mill  races.  Debris  flew  about 
in  the  air,  telegraph  and  telephone  poles  crashed  down  and 
the  slates  from  slate  roofs  whistled  by  with  a  menace  as 
great  as  a  bombardment.  Big  wooden  cisterns,  which  stood 


INCIDENTS  OF  THE  TERROR.         149 

on  pins,  were  blown  off  and  rolled  through  the  streets, 
the  people  dodged  these  great,  rolling  objects.  The  trees 
had  no  tap  roots  and  were  uprooted  in  every  direction. 
Still  thousands  said  to  thousands :  "Let  us  be  glad  we 
are  not  in  the  West,  where  they  have  cyclones." 

The  side  of  Galveston  toward  Galveston  Bay  contained 
the  wharves,  railway  yards  and  the  business  district.  The 
side  of  Galveston  toward  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  was  a  pretty 
residence  district  called  the  Beach  side.  Along  towards 
dusk  the  people  who  lived  on  the  gulf  side  of  Galveston, 
that  is  to  say,  in  the  residence  district  along  the  beach, 
were  engulfed  by  a  great  wave.  It  was  exactly  the  same 
thing  as  an  ordinary  wave  rolling  upon  the  shore,  only 
of  awful  and  devastating  magnitude.  In  a  short  time 
the  water  rose  twenty  feet  high.  Those  who  had  fled  to  the 
business  district,  or  as  much  as  six  or  eight  blocks  away 
from  the  beach,  were  chiefly  endangered  by  the  wind,  not 
by  the  water,  which  was  not  deep  enough  there  to  drown 
an  uninjured  man.  But  those  who  remained  on  the  beach 
side,  within  four  blocks  of  the  gulf  in  the  East  end,  and 
a  much  greater  distance  in  the  West  end,  had  little  show 
for  their  lives.  They  had  believed  against  doubt  until  too 
late.  At  this  awful  moment,  as  black  darkness  descended, 
and  the  houses  began  to  rise  and  tip  and  float  in  the  swell- 
ing tide,  the  people  emerged,  to  swim  for  their  lives.  The 
stronger  could  seize  timbers  and  try  to  float  to  safety,  but, 
burdened  with  the  weaker,  they  sought  to  use  pieces  of 
frame  houses,  roofs  and  floating  sections  of  flooring  as 
rafts,  tying  themselves  together  with  ropes  and  sheets. 

The  houses  were  nearly  all  frame,  many  of  them  large 
two-story  buildings  of  ornamental  architecture.  The 
great  waves  swept  one  against  the  other  and  over  the  other. 


150         INCIDENTS   OF   THE   TERROR. 

The  entire  beach  front  district  was  pushed  back,  house 
against  house.  Meeting  this  resistance,  the  waters  spun 
around  in  whirlpools.  Hundreds  of  victims  were  caught 
between  the  houses  and  crushed  and  drowned.  Hundreds 
of  yards  the  waters  pushed  the  wrecks  of  houses  until  a 
great  wall  formed,  twenty  to  thirty  feet  high,  and  rested 
against  houses  that  stood.  Several  hundred  yards  of 
houses  were  compressed,  twisted,  pounded  into  a  break- 
water 100  feet  thick.  The  labor  of  thousands  of  men  for 
many  days  could  not  have  built  a  structure  so  strong  and 
compact.  It  was  stouter  than  masonry,  for  it  could  not 
crack  or  crumble. 

But  this  great  bulwark  saved  the  rest  of  the  city.  The 
gulf  sought  its  level  and  the  people  who  were  in  the  saved 
districts — saved  by  the  destruction  of  the  beach  district — 
said  to  each  other :  "See,  the  waters  recede.  I  knew  that 
Galveston  could  not  be  engulfed  1" 

Sunday  morning,  after  the  storm,  the  people  who  lived 
emerged  from  their  places  of  shelter  and  found  the  city 
shattered  in  every  direction.  The  wind  had  torn  the 
main  part  of  the  town  like  the  hurricane  tore  St.  Louis, 
like  the  great  hurricanes  have  torn  other  towns  and  cities. 
Worn  out  by  the  terror  and  the  hard  work  to  keep  windows 
and  doors  fastened  and  the  water  out  of  their  houses,  many 
persons  in  the  more  fortunate  neighborhoods  pottered 
about  without  knowledge  of  the  calamity  that  had  stricken 
Galveston.  Some  did  not  know  for  twenty-four  hours. 

Men  who  had  remained  in  the  business  district  until 
the  storm  grew  too  great  to  venture  homewards — as  hap- 
pens in  cities  when  great  storms  rage — upon  setting  out 
in  the  morning  were  horror  struck,  first  by  the  destruction 
done  by  the  wind,  then  by  the  sight  of  naked  dead  upon 


EFFECT  OF  STORM  ON    BUILDINGS -WRECK  OF  CHURCH. 


INCIDENTS   OF  THE   TERROR.         153 

the  streets.  Pallid  with  dread  and  numb  with  remorse 
because  they  had  not  gone  home  at  any  hazard,  they  rushed 
over  the  rubbish  toward  their  homes,  only  to  find  them 
gone,  or  with  great  relief  to  greet  their  dazed  families. 

In  the  main  part  of  the  city  buildings  had  been  un- 
roofed, walls  had  fallen,  houses  had  blown  bodily  many 
feet,  but  the  sea-water  had  not  done  damage  except  to 
stocks  of  goods  near  the  floor,  or  to  household  furniture 
in  houses  that  had  fallen  from  their  pins.  The  rain 
through  the  broken  roofs  and  walls  had  done  the  drench- 
ing. 

But  when  the  explorers  neared  the  beach  front  they 
came  to  a  great  wall  of  wreckage.  Those  explorers  who 
pushed  through  the  wreck  laden  streets,  the  slimy  streets, 
to  the  beach,  were  unprepared  for  what  they  saw.  They 
climbed  upon  the  wall  of  debris  and  beheld  a  sight  that 
stunned  them.  Beyond,  where  they  were  accustomed  to 
see  avenues  and  homes,  was  nothing  but  a  bleak,  level 
desert,  with  here  and  there  a  little  pile  of  bricks,  and,  here 
and  there,  regular  lines  of  dead  and  leafless  shrubbery. 

Beyond  that  were  the  breakers  of  the  gulf  and  the 
swelling,  undulating  dip  of  waters,  tossing  and  leaping  in 
the  last  throes  of  their  wild  work. 

In  a  week  the  relief  expeditions  with  surgeons  and 
nurses,  which  had  been  sent  to  Galveston  from  !New  York, 
Philadelphia  and  Chicago,  became  so  numerous  that  they 
had  to  drum  up  patients.  On  last  Tuesday's  boat  from 
Galveston  to  the  railway  connection  with  Houston  at  Texas 
City  two  robust  and  red  cheeked  nurses  and  two  doctors 
buzzed  about  a  sick  woman  on  a  stretcher,  evidently  quite 
proud  that  they  had  a  real  patient. 

On©  expedition  with  a  complete  hospital  outfit,  was 


154         INCIDENTS   OF  TEE  TERROR. 

refused  admission  to  Galveston  and  was  established  at 
Houston. 

"O,  we  are  getting  quite  a  number  of  people,  now,"  said 
the  surgeon  in  charge  cheerily. 

For  a  day  or  two  he  had  been  afraid  that  there  were  not 
enough  sick  and  injured  to  go  around  and  his  fears  were 
happily  at  rest,  for  he  had  rather  the  best  of  the  others  in 
the  competition. 

When  the  surgeons  and  nurses  were  sent  it  was  be- 
lieved that  they  were  needed.  If  they  had  not  started 
with  such  a  flourish  of  trumpets  they  could  have  quietly 
folded  their  tents  and  gone  home,  but  the  great  publicity 
given  to  their  going  would  not  permit  this.  They  simply 
had  to  stay  and  make  a  fight  to  do  good. 

The  first  that  came  were  well  received.  Then,  as  the 
young  doctors  in  white  duck,  and  the  trim,  red  cheeked 
nurses  in  smart  professional  costumes,  began  to  pour  into 
Houston  and  Galveston,  the  local  people  changed  their 
attitude.  They  regarded  them  as  notoriety  seekers  and 
the  local  physicians  complained  that  the  young  doctors 
had  come  to  grab  the  good  surgical  cases  for  the  experi- 
ence. So  much  did  this  feeling  grow  that  when  Miss 
Clara  Barton's  party  arrived  at  Texas  City,  opposite  Gal- 
veston, they  had  to  remain  there  all  night,  for  aught  the 
authorities  at  Galveston  would  do  to  bring  them  over  that 
night.  The  aged  heroine  of  the  Red  Cross  was  cheerful, 
although  she  had  to  spend  the  damp  night  in  a  musty  day 
coach  and  the  men  of  her  party  slept  out  on  the  wet  prairie 
on  car  cushions. 

These  stories  were  told  by  a  casual  group  of  three  men 
who  paused  a  moment  to  discuss  the  disaster : 

A  white  man  floated  along  on  a  raft  with  two  negro 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   TEREOE.         155 

children,  whom  he  had  picked  up,  and  handed  them 
through  a  window.  The  raft  tipped  as  he  tried  to  climb 
in  himself  and  he  fell  in  the  water.  He  reappeared, 
clinging  to  the  house,  but  was  evidently  hurt  and  dazed. 
One  of  the  men  in  the  house  descended,  holding  to  a  sheet, 
and  brought  the  man  to  the  window  and  he  was  rescued, 
but  the  rescuer,  in  turn,  lost  his  hold  and  was  swept  under 
the  house  and  drowned. 

A  man  who  lived  in  the  West  end  suburbs  in  a  big 
house  swam  out  to  the  barn  to  release  his  horse,  two  cows 
and  a  calf,  and  give  them  a  chance  for  life.  The  horse 
came  out  immediately  and  swam  after  the  man  to  the  back 
steps,  which  held,  and  walked  right  into  the  kitchen. 
The  two  cows  and  the  calf  followed  directly  after  the  horse 
into  the  kitchen. 

A  family  horse  not  only  came  into  the  house  when  the 
door  was  opened,  but,  as  the  water  rose,  went  up  the  stairs 
to  the  second  story,  where,  at  last  accounts,  he  was  still 
lodged,  afraid  to  come  down. 

Another  man  said  his  cow  managed  to  get  upon  the 
veranda.  During  the  storm  the  veranda  gave  way,  except 
one  section  about  eighteen  inches  wide,  whereon  the  cow 
contrived  to  stand  all  night  and  was  found  there,  ten  feet 
above  the  ground,  in  the  morning. 

Many  people  turned  their  horses  and  cows  loose  on  the 
streets  and  they  turned  up  all  right  afterwards.  One  of 
the  pitiful  sights  was  dogs  wandering  about  over  the  wreck- 
age, looking  for  their  homes  which  had  been  swept  away. 
A  man  picked  up  three  dogs  from  the  wreckage.  They 
gladly  changed  from  the  rafts  they  stood  upon  to  the  raft 
whereon  there  was  a  man. 

The  estimated  cost  of  the  aid  extended  was  $40,000  a 


156          INCIDENTS   OF   THE   TERROR. 

day,  the  great  bulk  of  the  aid  going  to  the  4,000  men  at 
work  cleaning  up  the  wreckage,  digging  for  bodies  and 
cleaning  the  streets — through  them  to  their  families.  E"o 
able-bodied  laboring  man  was  allowed  to  escape  the  work, 
whether  he  needed  aid  or  not,  though  most  of  them  did. 
The  business  men  who  were  in  position  to  resume  were 
allowed  to  attend  to  their  stores,  and  their  clerical  forces 
were  not  interfered  with.  After  eight  days  the  debris- 
hunting  and  street-cleaning  were  put  upon  a  cash  basis, 
the  wages  being  $1.50.  Time  was  kept  from  the  begin- 
ning, though  the  records  are  not  complete,  and  it  is  the  ex- 
pectation, if  the  money  which  comes  in  from  outside  is 
adequate,  that  the  men  be  paid  for  the  full  time  they 
worked.  This  applies  to  those  who  had  to  be  made  to  work 
at  the  point  of  a  bayonet  as  well  as  those  who  volunteered 
their  services.  This  was  not  given  in  cash,  but  in  the  form 
of  orders  for  tools  for  mechanics,  lumber  for  those  who 
have  homes  they  wish  to  repair,  etc.  Practically  every 
able-bodied  man  was  made  to  work,  and  unless  he  worked 
he  got  no  supplies.  The  first  few  days  wages  consisted  en- 
tirely of  rations,  given  according  to  the  number  and  needs 
of  the  laborer's  family,  regardless  of  the  amount  of  work 
he  accomplished. 

The  work  of  distribution  was  conducted  systematically 
and  with  an  apparent  minimum  of  imposition  and  fraud. 
There  was  a  central  committee,  of  which  W.  A.  McVitie, 
a  prominent  business  man,  was  chairman.  Then  there 
was  a  committee  for  each  one  of  the  twelve  wards.  As 
fast  as  goods  or  provisions  arrived  from  the  mainland  they 
were  placed,  in  the  central  warehouse,  from  there  the  differ- 
ent ward  chairmen  requisitioned  them,  and  they  were 
taken  to  supply  depots  in  the  different  wards.  All  day 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   TERROR.         157 

long  there  was  a  motley  crowd  around  every  one  of  these 
depots,  negroes  predominating  at  least  two  to  one.  Every 
applicant  passed  in  review  before  the  ward  chairman. 

"Ah  want  a  dress  foil  ma  sistah,"  said  a  big  negress. 

"You're  'Manda  Jones,  and  you  haven't  any  sister  liv- 
ing here/7  replied  the  chairman. 

"Foh  de  Lord,  ah  has;  ah  ain't  'Mandy  Jones  at  all; 
we  done  live  on  Avenue  N  before  de  storm,  and  we  los' 
everything." 

"Go  out  with  this  woman  and  find  out  if  she  has  a 
sister  who  needs  a  dress,"  said  the  chairman  to  a  coin- 
mitteeman.  In  this  way  check  was  kept  on  all  the  appli- 
cants for  aid. 

At  the  5th  ward  distributing  station  a  negro  woman, 
who  had  been  refused  a  supply,  went  outside  and  by  way  of 
revenge  pointed  out  different  ones  of  her  friends  and  neigh- 
bors whom  she  alleged  were  similarly  unentitled. 

"Dat  woman  done  los'  nuthin'  at  all,"  she  shrieked.  "Ah 
did  not  los'  nuthin'  mahself  and  doan  wan'  nuthin'." 

"What's  the  trouble  ?"  asked  a  bystander.  An  old  ne- 
gress who  was  lined  up  waiting  her  turn  replied:  "Oh, 
she's  mad  'cause  de  white  folks  won't  give  her  nuthin'." 

"Our  supply  of  foodstuffs  is  adequate,"  said  Chairman 
"McVitie,  "but  just  now  we  are  a  little  short  of  clothing. 
Frequently  we  don't  know  anything  is  coming  until  the 
cars  reach  Texas  City.  With  the  money  which  has  been 
coming  in  we  have  been  augmenting  our  supplies  by  pur- 
chasing of  local  merchants  in  lines  where  there  was  a  short- 
age. What  do  we  need  worst  ?  Money.  If  we  have  money 
we  can  order  just  what  we  need." 

The  refugees,  on  the  17th,  were  crowding  all  the  trains 


158         INCIDENTS  OF  THE   TERROR. 

and  boats  leaving  Galveston,  and  at  the  same  date  the 
supplies  forwarded  were  arriving. 

The  big  train  sent  out  by  the  citizens  of  Chicago  for  the 
relief  of  stricken  Galveston  is  being  unloaded  on  barges 
of  the  Direct  Navigation  Company  at  Clinton,  the  South- 
ern Pacific  shipping  point  on  the  bayou.  Owing  to  the 
fact  that  the  train  came  unannounced  and  was  run  as  an 
extra  every  newspaper  man  in  Houston  lost  it.  The  train 
dispatchers  of  the  different  roads  were  besieged,  but  were 
unable  to  give  any  information.  The  Rock  Island  turned 
the  sixteen  loaded  cars  over  to  the  Houston  and  Texas 
Central  at  Fort  Worth  and  orders  were  issued  to  put  the 
train  on  passenger  time  and  give  it  right  of  way  over 
everything,  which  was  done,  the  run  of  270  miles  from 
Fort  Worth  to  Houston  being  made  at  an  average  speed  of 
thirty-seven  miles  an  hour.  On  arrival  at  Houston  the 
dispatchers  carried  out  their  orders  to  the  letter,  and  the 
train  was  turned  over  to  the  Southern  Pacific  with  rush 
orders,  and  rushed  it  was.  Before  daylight  the  train  had 
been  sent  to  Clinton,  barges  hurried  there  to  meet  it,  and 
the  work  of  unloading  began  without  delay.  There  were 
not  sufficient  barges  at  once  available  to  hold  the  great 
amount  of  relief  stores  which  had  been  sent. 

Sunday  afternoon  the  first  cargo  was  started  for  Gal- 
veston and  arrived  there  at  an  early  hour  this  morning. 
The  unloading  was  accomplished  quietly  and  the  barge 
started  immediately  on  the  return  trip  to  Clinton  for  an- 
other load. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  things  attending  the  Gal- 
veston disaster  was  the  fortitude  of  the  people.  Their  loss 
in  relatives,  friends  and  property  was  so  overwhelming 
that  it  seemed  too  much  to  be  expressed  with  outward  grief. 


INCIDENTS   OF  THE   TERROR.         159 

Two  men  who  had  not  seen  each  other  since  the  disaster 
met  in  the  street.  "How  many  did  you  lose  ?"  they  asked 
by  common  impulse. 

"I  lost  all  my  property,  but  my  wife  and  I  came  through 
all  right." 

"I  was  not  so  fortunate.  My  wife  and  my  little  boy 
were  both  drowned." 

There  was  an  expression  of  sympathy  from  the  other, 
but  nothing  approaching  a  tear  from  either. 

"They  ara  making  good  progress  cleaning  up,"  remarks 
the  one  whose  losses  were  heaviest,  with  a  pleasant  smile. 
The  other  one  makes  light  answer  and  they  pass  on. 

A  graphic  description  of  the  storm  is  that  given  by  K. 
L.  Johnson.  He  said: 

"I  reached  home  after  wading  in  water  to  my  neck  and 
made  immediate  preparations  to  take  my  wife  and  three 
children  where  I  felt  their  safety  would  be  assured.  The 
water  began  to  rise  so  rapidly  that  in  fifteen  minutes  we 
were  driven  to  the  second  floor,  and  it  was  then  impossible 
to  leave  the  house.  At  this  time  neighbor  Kell's  house, 
adjoining  mine,  went  down  with  husband,  wife  and  chil- 
dren. Then  down  Avenue  S  came  two  small  cottages, 
which  struck  a  telegraph  pole  and  stopped  directly  in  front 
of  my  house.  I  heard  children  crying  and  women  scream- 
ing. The  words,  'O  God,  save  me/  I  can  still  hear  ringing 
in  my  ears. 

"Another  cottage  came  sweeping  by  and  carried  away 
the  gallery  of  my  house.  The  Artigan,  Henman,  and  Pen- 
nings  houses,  carrying  eighteen  persons,  floated  by,  and  I 
could  see  the  struggling  forms  in  the  water. 

"I  was  expecting  it  was  our  turn  next.  I  kissed  my 
wife  and  children  good-by,  and  as  I  did  so  my  oldest  boy, 


160         INCIDENTS   OF  THE   TERROE. 

a  lad  of  15,  said :  'Father,  it  is  not  our  time  to  die.'  Then 
came  the  piercing  scream  of  a  woman,  followed  by  a  crash, 
and  another  house  turned  over  on  its  side  and  was  driven 
past  by  the  wind  and  flood. 

aThe  current  was  running  like  a  mill  race.  The  water 
was  already  on  our  second  floor,  and  the  waves  kept  knock- 
ing us  about  until  we  were  completely  exhausted.  Then 
the  wind  went  and  the  water  began  to  fall.  I  looked  about 
and  could  not  see  'a  house  for  two  blocks ;  there  was  nothing 
but  a  flood  of  water  in  every  direction.  In  the  morning  we 
found  our  house  had  been  moved  about  ten  feet  and  de- 
posited upon  the  sand." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  AWFUL  MAGNITUDE  OF  THE-  MISFORTUNE. 

Congressman  Hawley,  one  of  the  business  men  of  Gal- 
veston,  representing  the  strongest  interests  of  the  city,  said 
September  17  that  five  million  dollars  would  be  required 
to  put  Galveston  on  her  feet,  but  this  was  merely  to  clear 
the  wreck.  He  was  asked : 

"What  measure  of  relief  will  burn  your  dead,  clean  and 
purify  your  streets  and  public  places,  feed  and  clothe  the 
living,  and  place  your  people  where  they  can  be  self-sus- 
taining and  on  the  way  to  regain  what  has  been  lost  ?" 

His  reply  was :  "It  will  take  $5,000,000  to  relieve  Gal- 
veston from  the  distress  of  the  storm.  At  least  that  sum 
will  be  needed  to  dispose  of  the  dead,  to  remove  the  ruins, 
and  to  do  what  is  right  for  the  living.  I  think  that  we 
should  not  only  feed  and  clothe,  but  that  we  ought  to  have 
some  means  to  help  people  who  have  lost  everything  to 
make  a  start  toward  the  restoration  of  their  homes.  To  do 
this  will  require  every  dollar  of  $5,000,000." 

One  week  after  the  storm  the  report  was :  The  injured 
are  recovering  rapidly  from,  their  hurts,  which  are  largely 
superficial.  Many  men  and  women  are  suffering  from 
severe  nervous  shock  and  find  it  impossible  to  sleep.  Food 
is  coming  in  by  boatload  and  carload  faster  than  it  can  be 
handled,  in  such  generous  quantities  that  no  further  doubts 
are  entertained  about  supplies. 

The  estimates  of  the  number  of  persons  dependent  on 
relief  committees  varied  from  8,000  to  15,000.  The  date 
of  the  information  following  was  the  17th  of  September. 

In  the  business  center  the  streets  have  been  cleaned  and 
opened.  All  buildings  still  show  marks  of  wind  and  water, 
but  goods  are  displayed  and  business  is  being  transacted. 

161 


162         MAGNITUDE   OF  MISFORTUNE. 

The  city  is  gradually  assuming  the  bustling  ante-flood 
appearance.  The  principal  streets  are  now  electrically 
lighted.  Stenches  no  longer  assail  the  nostrils,  except  in 
the  outside  circle  of  destruction,  where  much  debris  still 
remains  untouched.  Cremation  of  the  dead  is  being 
pushed,  but  it  will  be  many  days  before  the  working  par- 
ties get  out  the  last  of  the  bodies. 

The  whole  twenty-two  miles'  length  of  the  island  was 
submerged.  The  horrors  of  the  western  portion  beyond 
the  city  limits  are  just  being  learned  at  San  Luis.  One 
hundred  and  eighty-one  bodies  were  buried  to-day.  Be- 
tween twenty  and  thirty  bodies  were  counted  among  the 
piles  of  the  railroad  bridge  between  the  island  and  Vir- 
ginia Point.  In  Kinkead's  addition  about  100  were  lost, 
eighteen  in  one  house. 

The  farther  the  men  work  in  the  Denver  reservoir  sec- 
tion the  more  numerous  are  the  dead.  Fires  are  burning 
every  300  feet  on  the  beach  and  along  many  of  the  streets. 

Mayor  Jones  said  a  week  from  the  date  of  the  storm : 

"We  are  broke,  the  majority  of  us.  Galveston  must 
have  suffered,  in  my  estimation,  based  upon  all  of  the 
reports  I  have,  $20,000,000.  Shipments  of  disinfectants 
and  food  supplies  now  on  the  way  will  be  sufficient  to  meet 
the  immediate  wants.  By  the  time  these  are  used  we  shall 
have  regained  our  transportation  facilities  and  stocks  of 
everything,  so  that  we  can  use  money  more  advantageously. 
We  have  between  1,500  and  3,000  men  at  work  searching 
for  bodies,  clearing  the  streets,  and  burning  debris.  Of 
this  work,  which  ought  to  be  done  as  fast  as  possible  in 
the  interest  of  the  living,  there  is  enough  to  keep  3,000 
employed  for  forty  days,  although  I  believe  we  shall  have 
the  principal  streets  clear  in  ten  days  or  two  weeks. 


MAGNITUDE   OF  MISFORTUNE.         163 

"I  hesitate  to  say  how  much  it  will  take  to  put  Gal- 
veston  where  her  people  can  care  for  themselves.  Cer- 
tainly $5,000,000  will  be  a  moderate  estimate.  There  is 
not  a  building  but  is  damaged,  not  a  house  of  those  left 
standing  but  will  have  to  be  reroofed,  and  few  that  will 
not  need  to  be  straightened  on  their  foundations.  If  Gal- 
veston  could  get  $10,000,000  it  would  be  used  judiciously 
to  enable  the  people  to  become  self-sustaining. 

"It  is  true  Galveston  is  represented  as  being  one  of  the 
wealthiest  cities  of  the  country.  But  our  rich  people  had 
everything  here  and  are  crippled.  The  people  of  moderate 
means,  who  had  homes  and  worked  on  salaries  are,  with 
scarcely  an  exception,  ruined.  The  class  dependent  upon 
labor  must  be  furnished  something  to  do  for  wages  or  must 
suffer. 

"Dr.  Lord  and  others,  who  have  been  among  the  people 
more  than  I  have,  say  there  are  8,000  helpless  who  must 
be  fed  and  clothed  and  carried  along  for  some  time. 

"There  is  no  contagious  disease  and  we  do  not  anticipate 
any.  But  many  are  suffering  from  shock  and  exposure 
and  from  injuries  received  among  the  ruins.  The  City  of 
Galveston,  I  am  convinced,  lost  fully  5,000  persons.  Down 
the  island,  outside  of  the  city  limits,  were  scattered  be- 
tween 2,000  and  3,000  persons.  From  the  reports  slowly 
coming  in  it  appears  that  most  of  these  people  lost  their 
lives.  The  island  in  the  sparsely  settled  parts  seems  to 
have  been  swept  clean." 

Battery  O  came  out  of  the  storm  with  a  loss  of  27  men 
out  of  190  men,  a  loss  seldom  sustained  in  battle.  One 
of  these  regulars  floated  fifty-two  miles  on  a  door,  another 
was  carried  on  an  outhouse  across  the  island  and  then 
across  Galveston  Bay.  The  survivors  were  barracked  in  a 


164:         MAGNITUDE   OF  MISFORTUNE. 

shattered  church  until  they  could  leave  for  San  Antonio 
to  be  outfitted  and  armed.  The  officers  and  men  lost  every- 
thing and  had  to  get  clothes  to  cover  them. 

James  Stewart  of  St.  Louis  undertook  to  see  that  Cap- 
tain Benton  Kennedy's  boys  did  not  suffer.  The  grain 
men  of  St.  Louis  took  a  personal  interest  in  this  case. 
Captain  Kennedy  came  to  Galveston  from  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
where  he  is  well  known.  He  was  superintendent  of  Ele- 
vator A.  His  family  consisted  of  his  wife,  three  boys  and 
two  girls.  A  month  ago  Captain  Kennedy  bought  a  nice 
home  and  moved  into  it.  When  the  storm  made  the  house 
no  longer  safe  he  placed  Henry  and  Edwin,  little  fellows 
of  15  and  9,  on  a  raft  at  the  door  and  went  back  for  the 
others.  The  raft  was  carried  half  a  mile  and  the  boys  were 
rescued.  Captain  Kennedy  and  Mrs.  Kennedy  and  the 
sisters  and  one  brother  were  lost. 

The  number  of  persons  who  fled  from  Galveston  during 
the  first  week  after  the  wreck  was  8,000.  The  latest  list  of 
dead  at  that  time  accounted  for  4,078  persons.  On  Sep- 
tember 19th  this  information  was  wired  from  Galveston : 
The  heaviest  of  all  the  losers  here  is  the  municipality  of 
Galveston.  As  estimated  by  officers  of  the  various  depart- 
ments of  the  city  government  the  loss  is  divided  as  follows : 

Thirty  miles  of  street  paving $900,000 

Schools  and  furniture 300,000 

City  hall  and  market  place 150,000 

Water  works  power  plant. 100,000 

Depreciation  of  wharf  stock 100,000 

Depreciation  of  street-railway  stock  held  by 

the  city 5,000 

Damage  to  parks  and  squares 30,000 


Total   $1,585,000 


MAGNITUDE   OF  MISFORTUNE.         165 

"To  look  at  it  now,"  said  Mayor  Jones,  "it  would  seem 
that  we  are  utterly  ruined  financially,  but  it  must  be  that 
there  is  a  way  out.  I  expect  to  call  a  meeting  of  the 
council  with  the  city  attorney  in  a  few  days  to  consider  this 
matter.  Until  then  I  will  not  discuss  the  situation 
further." 

Galveston's  position  is  a  bad  one.  Before  the  storm  the 
city  had  a  total  assessed  valuation  of  $26,777,338,  on  a 
basis  of  70  per  cent  real  cash  value.  On  this  there  was  a 
total  net  indebtedness  of  $2,767,086.  Various  citizens  es- 
timate that  the  loss  has  been  at  least  50  per  cent  of  the 
real  value.  On  the  old  valuation  Galveston  had  not  yet 
reached  the  legal  limit  of  bonded  indebtedness,  but  under 
present  conditions  is  beyond  it.  The  city  was  already  in  a 
bad  way  financially,  being  five  months  behind  in  salaries. 
The  problem  now  is  how  to  float  more  bonds  when  the  as- 
sets which  made  former  issues  good  have  been  so  fearfully 
depreciated. 

September  19  the  Governor  of  Texas  wired  this : 

"The  situation  to-night  in  all  parts  of  the  stricken  dis- 
trict, so  far  as  known  to  me,  is  improved,  and  will,  I  be- 
lieve, should  we  have  fair  weather,  continue  to  improve. 
The  method  of  distributing  the  benefactions  of  the  people 
has  become  systemized  and  has  been  reduced  to  the  lowest 
expenses  possible,  and  in  this  I  have  had  the  hearty  and 
voluntary  assistance  of  the  railway,  express,  telegraph  and 
telephone  companies,  all  of  whom  have  promptly  and  with- 
out charge  transmitted  supplies  and  messages,  besides  con- 
tributing to  the  relief  of  the  sufferers.  Galveston  is  being 
managed  by  its  own  municipal  authorities,  supplemented 
by  the  assistance  of  a  committee  composed  of  its  best  citi- 
zens and  also  by  the  aid  of  General  Scurry. 


166         MAGNITUDE   OF  MISFORTUNE. 

"There  need  be  no  apprehension  but  that  each  and  every 
afflicted  community  will  at  the  earliest  moment  practicable 
receive  an  abundant  supply  of  provisions.  I  have  supplied 
Galveston  with  sufficient  money  to  pay  reasonable  wages 
to  all  laborers  who  will  assist  in  cleaning  the  city  and  re- 
moving the  debris.  As  soon  as  I  am  able  I  shall  give  to 
the  publie  a  complete  itemized  statement  of  all  moneys  re- 
ceived by  me  and  how  they  have  been  distributed. 

"The  loss  of  life  occasioned  by  the  storm  in  Galveston 
and  elsewhere  on  the  Southern  coast  cannot  be  less  than 
12,000  lives,  while  the  loss  of  property  will  probably  aggre- 
gate $20,000,000." 

There  are  many  surprises  and  much  instruction  in  what 
the  general  ruin  has  done  in  equalizing  conditions.  It  was 
told  that  those  who  tended  counters  where  women's  cloth- 
ing was  distributed,  were  society  women,  clerks  and  school- 
teachers. All  responded  to  a  call  for  volunteers  without  a 
thought  of  remuneration  for  their  services.  They  will, 
however,  be  paid  if  the  funds  are  sufficient. 

Dr.  Jacobs,  a  young  physician,  who  lost  all  property  in 
the  flood,  five  houses  and  the  rest  of  his  possessions,  applied 
for  work  to  avoid  having  to  go  on  the  streets  and  dig 
bodies.  In  the  crowds  outside  were  many  who  were  in 
comfortable  circumstances.  Those  who  were  wealthy  were 
jostled  in  the  throng  with  blacks  and  whites  who  have 
always  been  penniless. 

This  information  was  given  out  September  19 : 

"The  most  reliable  information  obtainable  places  the 
dead  between  5,000  and  5,500.  A  census  bureau  was  es- 
tablished and  placed  in  operation  to-day.  A  mortuary 
bureau  has  also  been  opened,  where  relatives  or  friends 
are  to  make  oath  of  the  known  death  of  persons  lost  in  the 


MAGNITUDE   OF  MISFORTUNE.         167 

storm.  These  bureaus  will  materially  assist  in  a  more  ac- 
curate record  of  ttie  dead.  At  a  meeting  of  the  general 
relief  committee  to-day  no  one  was  found  who  would  un- 
dertake the  job  of  removing  the  city's  debris  on  contract, 
as  all  state  it  would  be  impossible  to  make  a  definite  es- 
timate. The  nearest  estimate  expert  wreckers  will  make 
is  that  it  will  take  2,000  men  ninety  days  to  clear  away 
the  debris  and  get  all  of  the  bodies  out,  and  that  this  will 
cost  $500,000.  The  board  adopted  a  resolution  stating 
that  it  was  the  opinion  of  the  board  that  the  best  way  to 
solve  the  problem  of  clearing  away  the  debris  was  to  let  a 
contract  to  some  one  to  do  the  work." 

The  loss,  by  the  city,  on  the  wharf  stock  may  be  only 
temporary  if  Galveston  maintains  its  former  prestige  as  a 
port  and  when  the  docks  are  repaired.  The  company  that 
owns  every  foot  of  the  dockage  in  Galveston  exacts  toll 
from  all  freight  entering  or  leaving  either  by  rail  or  boat. 
It  is  one  of  the  most  profitable  of  all  Southern  stocks.  Last 
year  the  city  received  $37,000  in  dividends  on  stock  valued 
at  $622,200.  The  city  obtained  this  valuable  asset  in  pay- 
ment for  streets  vacated  along  the  harbor  front.  The  city 
also  holds  nominally  $30,000  in  street  railway  stock. 

The  Associated  Press,  June  18,  reported  the  killed 
accounted  for  to  be  4,437.  Adjutant-General  Thomas 
Scurry  said : 

"In  my  opinion  the  situation  is  rapidly  growing  better ; 
the  people  found  themselves  dazed  and  shattered  as  a  re- 
sult of  the  storm.  While  there  was  an  abundance  of  en- 
ergy remaining,  as  might  have  been  naturally  expected, 
a  vast  amount  of  it  was  not  concentrated.  It  has  been  the 
policy  of  this  office  to  concentrate  energies.  These  efforts 


168         MAGNITUDE   OF  MISFORTUNE. 

have  been  most  gratifying.  We  have  a  large  number  of 
men,  possibly  2,000,  at  work. 

"What  is  most  needed  for  Galveston  now  is  money. 
Thousands  of  persons  who  owned  their  little  homes  have 
Lad  them  destroyed.  They  are  now  dependent  upon  the 
generosity  of  the  outside  world  and  upon  the  relief  com- 
mittee to  prepare  for  the  rigors  of  winter  and  to  refurnish 
their  homes  with  necessities.  No  man  who  has  not  been 
an  eyewitness  to  the  desolation  which  has  swept  over  this 
city  can  have  the  faintest  conception  of  what  it  means. 

"Galveston  lies  on  an  island  about  a  mile  wide  from 
north  to  south,  the  city  covering  about  six  miles  of  this 
east  and  west.  Along  the  southern  side  for  a  distance  of 
two  to  five  blocks  every  house  has  been  absolutely  de- 
molished. Such  of  these  unfortunates  as  were  not 
drowned  are  now  penniless." 

On  September  15  came  this  information :  The  depopula- 
tion of  Galveston  still  continues,  but  many  families  refuse 
to  leave.  Scores  of  persons  are  living  in  their  wrecked 
homes  here.  Many  of  these  houses  are  without  floors  and 
devoid  of  all  sanitary  provisions.  A  serious  outbreak  of 
sickness  among  these  is  feared. 

The  foul  stench  from  the  carcasses  makes  sleep  almost 
impossible  at  night,  and  strangers  who  come  here  do  not 
remain  long  on  account  of  the  terrible  odor.  The  lime 
which  was  ordered  a  few  days  ago  for  disinfection  pur- 
poses has  not  yet  arrived.  An  increase  of  sickness  is 
already  noted  and  a  general  outbreak  must  occur  unless 
something  is  done  at  once  to  get  the  city  in  a  sanitary  con- 
dition. 

The  St.  Mary's  convent  contains  over  600  sick  and  in- 
jured men,  women  and  children.  They  are  being  cared 


M   O 

cc  d 


H  CC 


MAGNITUDE   OF  MISFORTUNE.         171 

for  by  Catholic  priests.  Many  deaths  have  occurred  at  this 
and  other  hospitals.  Some  of  these  victims  are  uniden- 
tified, but  a  record  is  being  kept  of  them  for  purposes  of 
identification  in  the  future.  There  is  no  lack  of  medicine 
and  medical  aid  in  Galveston,  but  it  is  the  suffering  and 
sick  people  of  Velasco,  Alvin  and  other  smaller  towns  on 
the  mainland  who  are  badly  in  need  of  medicines  and  phy- 
sicians. Appeals  from  these  places  have  reached  here, 
asking  that  any  surplus  of  help  here  be  sent  them. 

The  work  of  burning  the  decaying  human  bodies  and 
other  carcasses  which  are  to  be  found  under  almost  every 
pile  of  wreckage  continues.  In  some  of  these  ruins  great 
piles  of  bodies  are  frequently  found.  No  attempt  at  keep- 
ing count  of  the  number  is  made,  and  it  will  never  be 
known  how  many  were  destroyed  in  this  manner. 

The  waters  of  the  gulf  are  giving  up  dead  bodies  con- 
stantly and  the  shore  of  the  mainland  and  the  beach  of  the 
island  are  strewn  with  them. 

"There  are  only  ten  houses  in  a  habitable  condition 
south  of  High  island,"  says  H.  S.  Spangier,  general  man- 
ager of  the  Gulf  &  Interstate  Railway  Company,  who  re- 
turned to-day  from  a  tour  of  inspection  of  the  property  of 
his  company.  "There  were  thousands  of  bodies  of  dead 
animals  and  about  350  bodies  of  human  beings  found 
there.  The  latter  have  been  partially  buried,  but  the 
hands  and  feet  are  protruding  from  the  earth  in  many 
places  and  there  are  not  enough  people  left  in  that  section 
to  bury  the  dead." 

Writing  from  Galveston,  September  18,  the  Chicago 
Record's  correspondent  said: 

"Galveston  has  been  struck  three  times  with  floods  and 
hurricanes,  but  even  this  experience  is  not  enough  to  con- 


172         MAGNITUDE   OF  MISFORTUNE. 

vince  the  residents  that  it  will  ever  happen  again.  Only 
a  few  more  cautious  have  any  idea  of  taking  steps  to  pre- 
vent a  repetition  of  the  recent  disaster.  Asked  if  there 
will  be  anything  done  to  make  future  floods  impossible, 
they  will  quote  the  old  saw:  'Lightning  never  strikes  in 
the  same  place  twice.' ' 

"No,"  said  E.  M.  Hartrick,  assistant  United  States 
engineer,  "the  people  of  Galveston  will  go  on  living  in 
fancied  security  just  as  they  did  before.  The  plan  to  put 
a  dike  around  the  city  is  perfectly  feasible  and  so  is  a 
series  of  jetties.  I  think  the  good  old  Holland  plan  is  the 
best.  The  city  doesn't  need  to  be  raised.  I  was  six  years 
city  engineer  of  Galveston,  and  following  the  storm  of 
1886  drew  plans  for  a  dike  ten  feet  high  and  extending 
all  around  the  island  except  on  the  north  side.  There  the 
wharves  were  to  be  raised  and  form  the  dike. 

"Galveston  gave  this  plan  consideration,  and  there  is  a 
map  of  the  city  in  existence  which  shows  it  with  a  dike 
surrounding  it.  The  legislature  gave  authority  to  bond 
the  city,  but  it  was  some  months  after  the  flood  when  this 
had  been  secured,  and  the  people  said,  'Oh,  we'll  never  get 
another  one/  and  they  didn't  build." 

The  construction  by  the  government  of  two  jetties,  one 
eight  miles  long  extending  out  southeast  for  the  purpose  of 
making  a  narrower  and  deeper  channel  for  boats  coming 
into  Galveston  harbor,  made  the  necessity  of  remedial 
work  more  apparent,  but  nothing  was  done.  In  last  week's 
storm  the  southwesterly  one  of  the  jetties  pocketed  the 
water  and  carried  it  up  over  the  southeastern  end  of  the 
island.  This  is  the  place  where  whole  blocks  of  buildings 
were  literally  washed  away,  leaving  hardly  enough  of  the 
foundations  to  indicate  that  buildings  ever  stood  there. 


MAGNITUDE   OF  MISFORTUNE.         173 

In  this  part  of  the  city  the  water  rose  to  a  depth  of  fifteen 
feet  in  the  streets.  Had  the  houses  that  were  demolished 
by  the  waves  and  swept  away  by  wind  not  formed  into  a 
great  jam  similar  to  a  log  jam,  but  extending  along  the 
south  shore  of  the  island  fo'r  seven  miles,  this  enormous 
body  of  water  would  have  swept  over  the  entire  island  and 
the  number  of  dead  would  have  been  quadrupled. 

"It  formed  a  dike,"  said  Engineer  Hartrick,  in  calling 
attention  to  this  feature  of  the  flood,  "and  had  it  not  been 
for  that  dike  we  might  not  any  of  us  be  here  now." 

According  to  Mr.  Hartrick,  Galveston  has  the  wrong 
style  of  architecture  for  a  gulf  town.  Its  newer  buildings 
are  built  on  the  northern  plan  with  balloon  frames,  and 
are  poorly  adapted  to  stand  a  blow. 

"This  storm  was  a  hurricane,"  he  says ;  "just  such  as 
they  have  in  the  West  Indies  every  summer,  but  which  we 
have  here  perhaps  once  in  a  hundred  years.  Still  we  never 
know  when  one  may  come  again,  and  we  should  build  our 
houses  accordingly. 

"What  we  want  is  not  to  keep  all  the  water  out.  We 
want  the  waves  to  break  their  force  before  they  rise  on  to 
the  island.  It  was  the  force  of  the  great  waves  which 
wrecked  the  houses." 

Prof.  Otto  Tittmann  of  the  coast  and  geodetic  survey 
attributes  the  damage  of  the  Galveston  storm  in  part  to 
the  removal  of  the  sand  dunes,  which  originally  protected 
the  eastern  end  of  the  low,  flat  island  on  which  the  city  is 
located.  In  the  regular  course  of  the  improvements  these 
were  leveled  off,  and  there  is  now  no  break  for  a  violent 
wind  coming  from  the  east. 

The  coast  survey  maps  show  another  contributing  cause. 
It  is  seen  by  the  recorded  soundings  that  there  is  a  long, 


174         MAGNITUDE   OF  MISFORTUNE. 

shallow  bar  of  sand  extending  for  nearly  three  miles  off  the 
east  coast;  the  average  depth  of  the  water  is  less  than  12 
feet ;  then  the  bottom  drops  off  into  the  deeper  waters  of 
the  gulf.  A  wind  from  the  southeast  would  have  a  ten- 
dency to  drive  the  waters  of  the  gulf  before  it,  and  when 
they  reached  the  sandy  shallows  they  would  be  piled  up, 
and  surge  over  it,  rather  than  break  and  recede,  as  they 
would  if  the  shore  was  precipitous.  The  bay  also  is 
formed  so  as  to  make  a  pocket.  The  opening  is  narrow 
and  obstructed  by  sandbars,  which  permit  the  water  to 
come  over  them,  and  to  back  up  in  the  30-mile  stretch  of 
deeper  water  beyond. 

The  work  of  extracting  bodies  from  the  mass  of  wreck- 
age still  continues.  To-day,  September  18,  over  400 
bodies  were  taken  out  of  the  debris  which  lines  the  beach 
front.  With  all  that  has  been  done  to  recover  bodies 
buried  beneath  or  pinned  to  the  immense  drift,  the  work 
has  scarcely  started.  There  is  no  time  to  dig  graves  and 
the  putrefying  flesh,  beaten  and  bruised  beyond  identifica- 
tion, is  consigned  to  the  flames.  Volunteers  for  this  grew- 
some  work  are  coming  in  fast.  Men  who  have  heretofore 
avoided  the  dead  under  ordinary  conditions  are  now  work- 
ing with  a  vigorous  will  and  energy  in  putting  them  away. 

Under  one  pile  of  wreckage  this  afternoon  twenty  bodies 
were  taken  and  cremated.  In  another  pile  a  man  pulled 
out  the  remains  of  two  children  and  for  a  moment  gazed 
upon  them,  then  mechanically  cast  them  into  the  fire.  They 
were  his  own  flesh  and  blood.  As  they  slowly  burned  he 
watched  them  until  they  were  consumed. 

A  large  force  of  men  is  still  engaged  in  removing  the 
dead  from  Hurd's  lane,  located  about  four  miles  west  of 
the  city.  At  this  point  the  water  ran  to  a  height  of  four- 


MAGNITUDE   OF  MISFORTUNE.         175 

teen  feet,  and  hung  up  in  trees  and  fences  are  the  bodies 
of  men,  women  and  children,  which  are  being  collected  and 
cremated  as  fast  as  possible. 

On  the  mainland  the  searching  for  and  cremating  of 
bodies  that  either  perished  or  found  lodgment  there,  is  be- 
ing prosecuted  vigorously. 

A  lady  whose  house  was  not  overthrown,  though 
mangled,  tells  this  of  her  escape: 

"About  ten  o'clock  the  water  began  to  recede  and  we 
could  see  the  heap  of  debris  in  the  courtyard.  It  was  then 
we  had  our  first  gleam  of  hope. 

"As  the  water  fell,  dreading  the  fall  of  the  tottering 
walls,  we  clambered  out  of  the  rear  window  to  the  piles  of 
brick  outside,  where  we  sat  exposed  to  the  fierce  wind  and 
rain  until  four  o'clock,  when  two  brave  men,  Ford  Smith 
and  Shirley,  came  and  said  it  was  possible  to  get  away  and 
find  shelter.  These  two  men  knew  we  had  taken  refuge  in 
what  was  known  to  be  one  of  the  strongest  buildings  on  the 
island.  They  came  through  all  the  danger  to  learn  our 
fate. 

"The  gladdest  sound  I  ever  heard  was  that  of  their 
voices.  They  hastened  us  off,  fearing  the  return  of  the 
tide. 

"Such  a  sight  as  met  us  as  we  left  our  nook  behind  and 
looked  upon  the  street !  Not  a  house  was  left  standing  be- 
tween Fourteenth  street  and  the  Gulf.  Through  Four- 
teenth street  we  waded  in  water  up  to  our  waists,  some- 
times losing  ourselves  in  holes,  to  be  pulled  out  by  the 
others. 

"Then  we  came  to  the  drifts,  over  which  we  climbed  at 
risk  of  life  and  limb.  Four  of  these  we  encountered  before 
we  came  to  a  house,  where  we  found  shelter.  Later  we 


176         MAGNITUDE   OF  MISFORTUNE. 

secured  a  patrol  wagon,  which  brought  us  down  to  the 
grocery  store  of  Mrs.  Thome's  relatives.  We  went  in  the 
store,  where  we  waded  around  in  the  slush,  making  coffee 
and  getting  what  food  we  could. 

"Mrs.  Baker  was  fortunate  enough  to  secure  some 
awfully  bad  rooms  over  a  stable  on  Twenty-second  street 
that  had  not  been  flooded,  where  we  spent  yesterday. 

"The  desolation  is  something  indescribable.  The  water 
stood  eight  feet  deep  in  front  of  the  Cathedral,  the  highest 
point  on  the  island.  There  is  not  a  sound  building  in  the 
city." 

This  paragraph  is  remarkable  for  the  information  con- 
tained: "Galveston  lies  on  an  island  about  a  mile  wide 
from  north  to  south,  the  city  covering  about  six  miles  of 
this  east  and  west.  Along  the  southern  side  for  a  distance 
of  two  to  five  blocks  every  house  has  been  absolutely  de- 
molished. Such  of  these  unfortunates  as  were  not  drowned 
are  penniless." 

J.  IsT.  Griswold,  division  freight  agent  of  the  Gulf, 
Colorado  &  Santa  Fe,  said,  on  returning  from  Galveston 
to  Dallas,  September  11 : 

"Ears  and  fingers  bearing  diamonds  were  hacked  off 
with  pocket  knives,  and  the  members  placed  in  the  pockets 
of  vandals.  The  bodies  of  women  who  wore  fine  clothes 
have  been  stripped  of  the  last  thread  and  left  to  fester  in 
the  sun.  The  residences  left  standing  have  been  broken 
1  into  and  jewelry  and  silver  plate  stolen.  I  saw  a  negro 
woman  carrying  a  large  basket  of  silverware  that  was 
not  hers. 

"At  Texas  City  I  saw  an  old  man  considerably  under 
the  influence  of  liquor.  From  his  pocket  protruded  a  roll 


MAGNITUDE   OF  MISFORTUNE.         177 

of  bills  as  big  as  my  arm,  which  he  claimed  to  have  found 
on  the  bay  shore. 

"Upon  all  hands  this  horrible  work  is  going  on.  The 
offenders  are  generally  negroes.  As  soon  as  the  storm  sub- 
sided the  negroes  stole  all  the  liquor  they  could  get,  and, 
beastly  drunk,  proceeded  with  their  campaign  of  vandal- 
ism. Troops  are  needed  at  once." 

The  hiding  place  of  three  ghouls  was  discovered  in  a 
beached  dredge,  formerly  used  by  the  Southern  Pacific 
Eailroad  Company.  Three  satchels,  filled  with  jewelry 
and  money,  were  seized.  The  men,  who  were  whites,  were 
supposed  to  have  been  shot,  but  no  official  report  of  the 
shooting  has  been  made. 


CHAPTEK  X. 

THE    CHICAGO    FIRE   AND    THE    GALVESTOtf    FLOOD. 

One  of  the  most  inspiring  and  splendid  chapters  of  his- 
tory is  the  story  of  the  rise  of  Chicago  from  ashes,  the  swift 
coming  courage  that  rose  above  all  discouragements,  using 
among  other  things  the  very  debris  of  the  old  city  to  make 
more  land  for  the  new  and  greater  city. 

The  record  of  the  resurrection  of*  the  city  is  one  of  in- 
tense interest,  in  association  with  the  woeful  losses  of  Gal- 
veston,  and  there  are  many  encouraging  inferences  to  be 
drawn.  In  "Chicago  and  the  Great  Conflagration,"  by 
Colbert  and  Chamberlain,  in  1871,  there  is  an  account  of 
the  first  note  of  good  cheer.  It  was  from  the  press,  and 
this  is  the  incident : 

"The  Tribune  building  had  not  ceased  to  blaze,  or  rather 
to  melt,  for  there  was  not  much  about  it  to  make  a  blaze 
of,  before  Joseph  Medill,  one  of  the  chief  stockholders, 
(since  elected  mayor  of  the  city)  had  sought  out  a  job- 
office  on  Canal  street — a  locality  where  nobody  had 
dreamed  there  was  anything  of  the  sort — and  bought  it 
out,  type,  presses  and  lease  of  three  spacious  floors ;  so  that 
on  the  morrow  the  force  of  the  Tribune  was  at  work,  pro- 
ducing a  broadside  sheet  for  Wednesday  morning.  That 
issue  sounded  out  like  a  tocsin  which  called  every  man  in 
Chicago  to  his  duty.  It  gave  a  twelve  column  account  of 
the  great  calamity.  It  was  headed ' Chicago  Destroyed  ;'but 
this  was  merely  a  rhetorical  flourish  of  the  younger  Medill, 
for  the  editorial  columns  abounded  in  ringing,  cheering 

178 


FIRE  AND  FLOOD.  179 

utterances.  We  cannot  forbear  quoting  the  principal  of 
these : 

"  'CHEEK  UP. 

"  '  In  the  midst  of  a  calamity  without  parallel  in  the 
world's  history,  looking  upon  the  ashes  of  thirty  years'  ac- 
cumulations, the  people  of  this  once  beautiful  city  have 
resolved  that  CHICAGO  SHALL  KISE  AGAIN! 

"  'With,  woe  on  every  hand,  with  death  in  many  strange 
places,  with  two  or  three  hundred  millions  of  our  hard- 
earned  property  swept  away  in  a  few  hours,  the  hearts 
of  our  men  and  women  are  still  brave  and  they  look  into 
the  future  with  undaunted  hearts.  As  there  has  never 
been  such  a  calamity,  so  has  there  never  been  such  cheerful 
fortitude  in  the  face  of  desolation  and  ruin. 

"  'Thanks  to  the  blessed  charity  of  the  good  people  of 
the  United  States,  we  shall  not  suffer  from  hunger  or 
nakedness  in  this  trying  time.  Hundreds  of-  train-loads 
of  provisions  are  coming  forward  to  us  with  all  speed  from 
every  quarter,  from  Maine  to  Omaha.  Some  have  already 
arrived — more  will  reach  us  before  these  words  are 
printed.  Three-fourths  of  our  inhabited  area  is  still  saved. 
The  water  supply  will  be  speedily  renewed.  Steam  fire- 
engines  from  a  dozen  neighboring  cities  have  already  ar- 
rived, and  more  are  on  the  way.  It  seems  impossible  that 
any  further  progress  should  be  made  by  the  flames,  or  that 
any  new  fire  should  break  out  that  would  not  be  instantly 
extinguished. 

"  'Already  contracts  have  been  made  for  rebuilding  some 
of  the  burned  blocks,  and  the  clearing  away  of  the  debris 
will  commence  to-day,  if  the  heat  is  so  far  subdued  that 
the  charred  material  can  be  handled.  Field,  Leiter  &  Co. 


180  FIRE  AND   FLOOD. 

and  John  V.  Farwell  &  Co.  will  recommence  business  to- 
day. The  money  and  securities  in  all  the  banks  are  safe. 
The  railroads  are  working  with  all  their  energies  to  bring 
us  out  of  our  affliction.  The  three  hundred  millions  of 
capital  invested  in  these  roads  is  bound  to  see  us  through. 
They  have  been  built  with  special  reference  to  a  great  com- 
mercial mart  at  this  plkce,  and  they  cannot  fail  to  sustain 
us.  CHICAGO  MUST  KISE  AGAIN. 

"  'We  do  not  belittle  the  calamity  that  has  befallen  us. 
The  world  has  probably  never  seen  the  like  of  it — certainly 
not  since  Moscow  burned.  But  the  forces  of  nature,  no  less 
than  the  forces  of  reason  require  that  the  exchanges  of  a 
great  region  should  be  conducted  here.  Ten,  twenty  years 
may  be  required  to  reconstruct  our  fair  city,  but  the  capital 
to  rebuild  it  fireproof  will  be  forthcoming.  The  losses  we 
have  suffered  must  be  borne;  but  the  place,  the  time  and 
the  men  are  here,  to  commence  at  the  bottom  and  work  up 
again ;  not  at  the  bottom,  either,  for  we  have  credit  in  every 
land,  and  the  experience  of  one  upbuilding  of  Chicago  will 
help  us.  Let  us  all  cheer  up,  save  what  is  yet  left,  and  we 
shall  come  out  right.  The  Christian  world  is  coming  to 
our  relief.  The  worst  is  already  over.  In  a  few  days  more 
all  the  danger  will  be  past,  and  we  can  resume  the  battle 
of  life  with  Christian  faith  and  western  grit.  Let  us  all 
cheer  up.' 

"This  bugle-call  had  an  electrical  effect  upon  the  spirits 
of  the  people." 

The  same  spirit  has  been  shown  in  Galveston,  though 
there  were  discouragements  there  more  serious  even  than 
those  of  Chicago.  There  was  no  job-office  that  escaped  in 
Galveston.  We  resume  the  narrative : 

"Tuesday,  the  10th  of  October,  may  be  called  a  day  of 


FIRE  AND   FLOOD.  181 

transition  from  chaos  to  order ;  though  it  looked  upon  the 
surface  like  chaos  merely.  The  mayor  and  city  govern- 
ment were  busy  providing  for  the  re-establishment  of  quiet 
and  confidence,  and  the  Board  of  Trade  and  other  author- 
ities in  business  were  organizing  for  the  resurrection  of 
Chicago ;  but  little  of  this  was  apparent  to  the  general  ob- 
server. The  visitor  to  Chicago  (that  is  the  unburnt  part 
of  it),  Tuesday  morning,  saw,  perhaps,  first  of  all,  an 
occasional  puff  of  smoke,  curling  upwards  from  chimney- 
tops  of  houses,  and  yet  not  many;  for  the  Mayor's  order 
of  the  previous  night  had  prohibited  all  kitchen  fires,  and 
only  the  very  reckless  or  very  hungry  made  bold  to  con- 
strue the  shower  of  the  previous  night  as  a  contravention 
of  the  order.  He  saw  an  occasional  face  show  itself  on  the 
street,  haggard  and  red-eyed,  from  the  effects  of  the  previ- 
ous twenty-four  hours'  experience.  He  saw  water-carts 
moving  through  the  streets  and  being  surrounded  by  men 
in  dressing  gowns  and  women  in  their  meanest  wear,  bear- 
ing buckets  and  pitchers,  to  buy,  at  a  shilling  a  pailful,  the 
fluid  which  had  suddenly  become  so  precious.  He  saw 
wagons  drive  up  to  church-doors,  carrying  sick  or  wounded 
or  burnt  victims  of  the  flames,  now  first  furnished  with 
shelter.  He  saw  fire-engines,  probably  from  abroad,  get- 
ting into  position  to  play  upon  the  blazing  coal-heaps  along 
the  river;  their  occasional  sharp  whistle  was  almost  the 
only  sound  to  break  the  solemn  stillness  of  the  morning. 
By  and  by,  however,  the  people  began  to  stir,  and  then 
suddenly  all  became  a  Babel  of  confusion.  Wagons  of 
every  description,  and  in  numbers  no  one  thought  the  city 
could  boast,  were  plying  hither  and  thither  with  reckless 
speed." 

This  was  a  revival  of  energy,  the  resumption  of  trained 


182  FIRE  AND   FLOOD. 

labors,  a  protest  against  further  loss  of  time.  We  follow 
the  writer  just  quoted  a  few  lines  further : 

"Chicago  has  fastened  upon  the  trade  of  the  great  North- 
west with  chains  that  cannot  be  unbound,  and  will  there- 
fore grow  with  that  rapidly  developing  country,  and 
without  any  serious  hindrance  from  what  has  happened. 
Individual  fortunes  have  been  in  some  cases  irretriev- 
ably lost,  though  the  way  in  which  these  men  rebound,  even 
from  out  the  slough  of  despair,  is  something  wonderful; 
but  the  city  must  still  go  marching  on.  The  West  must 
have  her  for  uses  which  no  other  locality  can  subserve,  and 
which  no  other  city,  even  if  it  had  the  advantage  of  loca- 
tion, could  prepare  itself  to  subserve  in  thrice  the  time  it 
will  take  Chicago  to  recuperate.  The  produce  of  the  West 
and  the  capital  of  the  East  are  alike  interested  in  keeping 
Chicago  the  metropolis  of  the  Northwest — an  empire  al- 
ready vaster,  and  much  more  rapidly  growing,  than  that  of 
Great  Britain  at  the  time  London  was  destroyed. 

"People  who  come  to  Chicago  and  take  a  survey  of  her 
present  apparent  desolation  are  shocked  by  it,  and  go  away 
saying  that  Chicago  cannot  be  rebuilt  in  less  than  a  gener- 
ation. They  forget  that  Chicago  was  a  generation  in  at- 
taining her  late  magnificence,  simply  because  the  West  was 
for  that  length  of  time  in  growing  to  its  present  pro- 
portions; and  that  the  question  of  how  long  it  will  take 
to  rebuild  Chicago — the  West  being  still  intact  around 
her — is  simply  a  question  of  how  long  it  will  require  for 
the  country  to  produce  the  bricks  and  the  stone  to  lay  up 
her  walls  withal.  It  is  estimated  by  those  competent  to 
judge  of  this  that  three  years  will  be  adequate  to  the  work ; 
in  other  words  that  as  soon  as  the  grand  buildings  of  the 
railway  corporations,  the  city,  and  the  United  States  Gov- 


FIRE  AND   FLOOD.  183 

ernment  can  be  completed  in  a  solid  manner  they  will 
already  be  surrounded  by  a  complete  city,  equal  in  its 
capacity  for  the  accommodation  of  business  to  that  which 
fell  in  the  Great  Conflagration." 

There  need  be  only  the  change  of  a  few  words  to  apply 
this  forcibly  and  accurately  to  Galveston.  The  word  West 
is  to  be  changed  to  South,  and  it  fits  the  situation  on  the 
Gulf.  Again : 

"The  writer,  wandering  among  the  mournful  ruins  of 
the  North  Division,  on  the  day  after  that  quarter  was  de- 
stroyed, met  an  acquaintance  whom  he  accosted  with  the 
usual  salutation:  'How  did  you  come  out?'  The  answer 
was :  'Yesterday  morning  I  had  a  warehouse  over  there 
with  $30,000  worth  of  wool  in  it,  I  had  a  fine  house,  well 
furnished,  for  my  home,  and  two  others  to  help  out  my 
income.  To-day,  I've  got  what  I  have  on  my  back;  my 
wife  the  same — that  is  all.'  'Are  you  going  to  give  up  ?' 
we  asked.  'NO  SIR,'  he  answered.  A  fortnight  later  we 
encountered  the  same  friend  dashing  down  the  street  at 
great  speed.  He  had  got  track  of  a  man  who  would,  he 
thought,  put  up  a  building  for  him,  and  was  going  to  have 
the  contract  made  before  night.  He  was  buoyant  and  en- 
thusiastic. 

"Probably  the  reader  of  this  history  who  visits  Chicago 
five  years  hence  will  find  this  man  in  full  blast  in  his  new 
warehouse,  not  with  thirty,  but  with  sixty  or  ninety  thous- 
and dollars'  worth  of  wool  in  store,  and  not  with  two  but 
four  houses  to  rent ;  for  it  is  such  pluck  as  this  that  wins 
in  the  West. 

"The  visitor  will  see,  besides  the  twenty  railroads  which 
already  converge  at  Chicago,  the  six  important  lines  now 
projected,  also  entering  the  heart  of  the  city,  probably  by 


184  FIRE   AND   FLOOD. 

sunk  tracks,  and  through  viaducts  at  every  street-crossing.'7 

The  echo  of  these  words  expressing  individual  tenacity 
of  purpose,  never  giving  up,  comes  on  every  breeze  from 
the  South.  The  first  hours  of  despair  after  the  incalcu- 
lable calamity  are  described  in  "Scenes,  Incidents  and  Les- 
sons of  the  Great  Chicago  Fire,"  by  Sewell,  1872,  in  these 
words : 

"Every  street,  alley,  doorway  and  court  was  occupied  by 
trembling,  exhausted  human  beings,  pale  with  fear  and 
desperate  with  uncertainty.  'What  shall  we  do  ?'  'What 
will  become  of  us  ?'  were  the  anxious  queries  of  the  hetero- 
geneous multitude  as  they  stood  or  sat  in  the  streets,  or  as 
they  lay  prostrate  in  despair  on  the  steps  of  houses  or  on 
the  boards  and  planks  of  the  lumber  yards  on  the  river 
docks." 

On  the  anniversary  night  of  the  burning  of  the  city  of 
Chicago,  October  9,  occurred  in  1899  the  Peace  Jubilee 
Banquet  at  the  Auditorium  Hotel.  There  were  present 
the  President  of  the  United  States,  the  Vice-President  of 
Mexico,  and  the  Premier  of  Canada,  and  the  latter,  in  a 
most  graceful  and  strong  speech,  made  a  memorable  utter- 
ance grateful  to  the  Chicago  business  men  who  heard  or 
read  it,  and  it  will  be  pleasing  and  uplifting  to  the  business 
men  of  Galveston,  for  it  appeals  to  the  chivalry  of  com- 
merce and  the  nobility  of  humanity.  Sir  Wilfrid  Laurier, 
Premier  of  Canada,  said : 

"As  a  rule,  nations  and  cities  celebrate  the  day  of  their 
foundation,  or  some  great  victory,  or  some  national  tri- 
umph, in  all  cases  some  event  which,  when  it  occurred,  was 
a  cause  of  universal  joy  and  rejoicing.  Not  so,  however,  of 
the  city  of  Chicago.  In  this,  as  in  everything  else,  it  does 
not  tread  in  beaten  paths,  and  the  day  which  it  celebrates 


FIRE   AND   FLOOD.  185 

is  not  the  day  of  its  foundation,  when  hunters  and  fur 
traders  unconsciously  laid  down  what  was  to  develop  into 
a  gigantic  city.  Neither  does1  it  celebrate  some  great  ac- 
tion in  which  American  history  abounds,  nor  does  it  com- 
memorate a  deed  selected  from  the  life  of  some  of  the 
great  men  whom  the  state  has  given  to  the  nation,  though 
Illinois  can  claim  the  proud  privilege  of  having  given  to 
the  nation  one  as  great  as  Washington. 

"The  day  which  Chicago  celebrates  is  the  day  of  its 
direst  calamity — the  day  when  it  was  swept  out  of  exist- 
ence by  fire,  and  I  recall  the  energy,  the  courage,  the  faith, 
the  enthusiasm  with  which  its  citizens  met  and  faced  and 
conquered  an  appalling  calamity. 

"For  my  part,  well  do  I  remember  the  awful  day,  for 
as  you  will  know,  its  terrors  were  reverberated  far  beyond 
the  limits  of  your  country,  but  of  all  the  things  which  I 
most  remember — I  was  a  young  man — of  all  the  acts  of 
courage  and  heroism  which  were  brought  forward,  the  one 
thing  that  struck  me  most  was  an  appeal  issued  by  the  busi- 
ness men  of  Chicago  on  the  smoking  ruins  of  the  city. 
They  appealed  to  their  fellow-citizens.  They  appealed 
not  for  alms  or  charity  of  any  kind,  but  in  most  noble 
language  they  appealed  to  their  fellow-citizens,  especially 
those  who  had  business  connections  with  Chicago,  and 
whose  enterprise  and  energy  had  conferred  honor  on  the 
American  name,  to  sustain  them  in  their  business  in  that 
time  of  their  trial.  Mark  the  language — the  only  thing 
they  asked  was  to  be  SUSTAINED  IN  THEIK  BUSI- 
NESS, and  if  sustained  in  their  business  they  were  ready 
to  face  and  meet  the  awful  calamity  which  had  befallen 
their  city.  In  my  estimation,  in  my  judgment,  this  was 


186  FIRE  AND  FLOOD. 

courage  of  the  highest  order.  Wherever  you  meet  courage, 
you  are  sure  to  meet  justice  and  generosity." 

The  way  in  which  Chicago  found  and  appropriated  re- 
sources is  prominent  in  this  paragraph  of  a  publication 
that  soon  followed  the  fire : 

"It  was  estimated  that  the  value  of  the  land  made  out  of 
the  rubbish  filling  the  border  of  the  lake  was  worth  $1,000 
a  day.  It  was  further  estimated  that  in  course  of  time — 
the  year  was  '72 — 'the  accretions  made  in  the  manner  de- 
scribed, the  land  may  be  sold  (the  needed  authorization 
having  of  course  been  obtained)  for  a  sum  equal  to  the 
city  debt,  which  is  now,  in  round  numbers,  $13,000,000.'  " 


EFFECT   OF   STORM   ON   BUILDINGS 


URSILINE  CONVENT. 


CHAPTER  XL 

THE  MOST  GREWSOME  PICTURE  IN  THE  BOOK  OF  TIME. 

(From  the  Galveston  News,  September  13,  1900.) 
Galveston,  Wednesday. — The  story  of  Galveston's 
tragedy  can  never  be  written  as  it  is.  Since  the  cata- 
clysm of  Saturday  night  a  force  of  faithful  men  have 
been  struggling  to  convey  to  humanity  from  time  to  time 
some  of  the  particulars  of  the  tragedy.  They  have  told 
much,  but  it  was  impossible  for  them  to  tell  all,  and  the 
world,  at  best,  can  never  know  all,  for  the  thousands  of 
tragedies  written  by  the  storm  must  forever  remain  mys- 
teries until  eternity  shall  reveal  all.  Perhaps  it  were  best 
that  it  should  be  so,  for  the  horror  and  anguish  of  those 
fatal  and  fateful  hours  were  mercifully  lost  in  the  scream- 
ing tempest  and  buried  forever  beneath  the  raging  billows. 
Only  God  knows,  and  for  the  rest  let  it  remain  forever  in 
the  boundlessness  of  His  omniscience.  But  in  the  realm 
of  finity,  the  weak  and  staggered  senses  of  mankind  may 
gather  fragments  of  the  disaster,  and  may  strive  with  in- 
evitable incompleteness  to  convey  the  merest  impression 
of  the  saddest  story  which  ever  engaged  the  efforts  of  a 
reporter. 

Galveston !  The  mournful  dirges  of  the  breakers  which 
lash  the  beach  can  not  in  the  remaining  centuries  of  the 
world  give  expression  to  the  sorrow  and  woe  which  throbs 
here  to-day ;  and  if  the  sobbing  waves  and  sighing  winds, 
God's  great  funeral  choir,  fail,  how  can  the  weak  pen  and 
appalled  imaginations  of  men  perform  the  task?  The 

189 


190  MOST  GREWSOME  PICTURE. 

human  heart  can  merely  feel  what  language  will  never 
be  able  to  express.  And  in  the  case  of  Galveston,  the  heart 
must  break  before  it  can  begin  to  feel. 

I  struggled  all  day  Tuesday  to  reach  this  isle  of  desola- 
tion. With  General  McKibben,  General  Scurry,  General 
Stoddard  and  several  who  had  relatives  here  about  whom 
they  were  anxious,  I  spent  five  hours  on  the  bay  in  a  row 
boat,  kindly  loaned  by  the  captain  of  the  Kendel  Castle, 
a  British  steamship  hopelessly  stranded  at  Texas  City, 
but  finally  we  landed  on  the  island  just  as  the  stars  were 
coming  out. 

The  very  atmosphere  smelt  of  death,  and  we  walked 
through  the  quiet  streets  to  the  Tremont  hotel.  Long  be- 
fore we  landed  we  had  seen  the  naked  forms  of  men, 
women  and  children  floating  in  the  bay  and  were  depressed 
until  the  entire  party  was  heartsick. 

Men  were  grouped  about  the  streets  talking  in  quiet 
tones.  Sad  and  hopeless  women  could  be  seen  in  dis- 
mantled houses,  destitute  children  were  about  the  streets, 
and  all  about  them  was  nothing  but  wreck  and  ruin. 
Night  had  drawn  a  gray  pall  over  the  city  and  for  awhile 
the  autumn  moon  covered  her  face  with  dark  clouds  to 
hide  the  place  with  shadows.  The  town  was  under  mar- 
tial law,  every  saloon  was  closed,  and  passers-by  were  re- 
quired to  give  an  account  of  themselves  before  being  al- 
lowed to  proceed.  The  fact,  however,  that  the  streets 
were  almost  impassable  on  account  of  the  debris  kept  us 
reminded  that  we  were  in  the  midst  of  unprecedented 
desolation. 

Wednesday  the  sun  drew  aside  the  curtains  of  dark- 
ness and  revealed  a  scene  that  is  impossible  of  descrip- 
tion. I  spent  hours  driving  or  riding  about  the  city  and 


MOST  GREWSOME  PICTURE.  191 

witnessed  the  saddest  spectacles  ever  seen  by  human  eyes. 
What  were  once  Galveston's  splendid  business  thorough- 
fares were  wrecked  and  crumbled.  The  Strand,  known 
to  every  business  man  of  the  State,  was  lined  on  both  sides 
with  crumbling  walls  and  wrenched  buildings,  and  the 
street  was  a  mass  of  debris,  such  as  metal  roofs  rolled 
up  like  a  scroll,  splintered  timbers,  iron  pillars,  broken 
stone  and  bricks;  the  same  was  true  of  Mechanic,  and 
Market,  and  Tremont,  and  Twenty-first  and  Twenty-sec- 
ond and  every  other  street  of  the  great  business  heart  of 
Galveston.  The  stores  were  ruined  and  deserted  and  the 
blight  of  destruction  was  visible  as  far  as  the  eye  could 
reach.  As  horrible  as  all  this  was,  it  was  as  nothing  to 
the  hopeless  faces  of  the  miserable  men,  women  and  chil- 
dren in  the  streets.  I  will  not  undertake  to  describe 
them,  but  as  long  as  I  live  I  will  never  forget  them.  Many 
I  knew  personally,  and  these  gave  greeting,  but  God,  it 
was  nothing  but  a  handshake  and  tears.  It  seems  that 
everybody  I  had  ever  known  here  had  lost  somebody. 
The  tears  in  their  eyes,  the  quiver  of  their  voices,  the 
trembling  of  lips!  The  brand  of  agony  was  upon  their 
faces  and  despair  was  written  across  their  hearts.  I  would 
plunge  a  dagger  through  my  heart  before  I  would  endure 
this  experience  again. 

The  readers  of  the  News  must  pardon  the  personal 
nature  of  this  narrative.  It  is  impossible  to  write  with- 
out becoming  a  part  of  the  story  this  time.  I  met  Elma 
Everhart,  formerly  a  Dallas  boy.  I  had  known  him  from 
childhood,  and  all  his  people.  Indeed,  I  had  once  been 
an  inmate  of  their  home  in  OakclifF.  I  hardly  knew  him 
when  he  stopped  me,  he  had  grown  so  much.  He  said: 
"Katy  and  her  baby  are  at  Dickinson.  That  town  was 


192  MOST  GREWSOME  PICTURE. 

destroyed,  but  they  are  alive.  I  am  going  there  and  leave 
Galveston  forever." 

I  knew  he  had  woe  in  his  heart  and  I  queried. 

"I  am  the  only  one  left,"  he  answered.  "Papa,  mamma. 
Lena  and  Guy — they  are  all  gone." 

I  remember  the  last  time  I  saw  this  family  before  they 
left  Dallas.  I  remember  Lena,  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
children  I  ever  saw.  I  recall  her  beautiful  eyes  and  long 
dark  curls,  and  I  remember  when  she  kissed  me  good-bye 
and  joyously  told  me  she  was  coming  to  Galveston  to  live ! 
And  this  was  her  fate. 

With  all  my  old  fondness  for  the  ocean,  recalling  how  I 
have  lain  upon  the  sand  hour  after  hour  looking  at  its 
distant  sails  and  listening  to  its  mysterious  voices,  re- 
calling happy  moments  too  sacred  for  expression,  when  I 
think  of  that  sweet  child  as  one  of  its  victims,  I  shall  hate 
the  sea  forever. 

And  yet,  what  can  this  grief  of  mine  amount  to  in  the 
presence  of  the  agony  of  the  thousands  who  loved  the 
5,000  souls  who  took  leave  of  life  amid  the  wild  surging 
waters  and  pitiless  tempest  of  last  Saturday  night  ? 

After  surveying  the  dismantled  business  section  of  the 
city,  a  cabman  made  his  tortuous  way  through  the  resi- 
dence sections.  It  was  a  slow  journey,  for  the  streets 
were  jammed  with  houses,  furniture,  cooking  utensils, 
bedding,  clothing,  carpets,  window  frames,  and  everything 
imaginable,  to  say  nothing  of  the  numerous  carcasses  of 
the  poor  horses,  cows  and  other  domestic  animals.  Some 
of  the  houses  were  completely  capsized,  some  were  flat 
upon  the  ground  with  not  one  timber  remaining  upon  an- 
other, others  were  unroofed,  some  were  twisted  into  the 
most  fantastic  shapes,  and  there  were  still  others  with 


MOST  GREWSOME  PICTURE.  193 

walls  intact,  but  which  had  been  stripped  of  everything 
in  the  way  of  furniture.  It  is  not  an  uncommon  thing 
for  the  wind  at  high  velocity  to  perform  miraculous  things, 
but  this  blast  which  came  at  the  rate  of  120  miles  an 
hour,  repeated  all  the  tricks  the  wind  has  ever  enacted 
and  gave  countless  new  manifestations  of  its  mysterious 
power.  It  were  idle  to  undertake  to  tell  the  curious  things 
to  be  seen  in  the  desolate  residence  streets,  how  the  trees 
were  uprooted  and  driven  through  houses,  how  telegraph 
poles  were  driven  under  car  tracks,  how  pianos  were  trans- 
ferred from  one  house  to  another. 

More  ominous  than  all  this  were  the  vast  piles  of  debris 
from  which  emanated  odors  which  told  of  dead  victims 
beneath,  men,  women  and  children,  whose  silent  lips  will 
never  reveal  the  agony  from  which  death  alone  released 
them. 

More  sorrowful  still  the  tear-stained  faces  of  the  women, 
half -clad,  who  looked  listlessly  from  the  windows,  haunted 
by  memories  from  which  they  can  never  escape — the  loss 
of  babies  torn  from  their  breasts  and  hurled  into  a  mael- 
strom of  destruction  to  be  seen  no  more  forever. 

What  were  those  dismantled  homes  to  the  dismantled 
hearts  within  ?  How  can  it  be  described  ?  Will  the  world 
ever  know  the  real  dimensions  of  the  disaster  which 
crushed  Galveston  and  left  her  broken  and  disconsolate 
like  a  wounded  bird  fluttering  on  the  white  sands  of  the 
ocean  ? 

And  the  beach?  That  once  beautiful  beach  with  its 
long  stretches  of  white  sand — what  had  become  of  that? 
Misshapen,  distorted,  blotched  and  drabbled  and  crim- 
soned, it  spread  away  to  the  horizons  of  the  east  and  west, 
its  ugly  scars  rendered  more  hideous  by  the. glinting  rays 


194  MOST  GREWSOME  PICTURE. 

of  the  sun.  Part  of  it  had  disappeared  under  the  purling 
waters.  Far  out  here  and  there  could  be  seen  the  piling 
where  once  rested  the  places  of  amusement.  The  waves 
were  lashing  the  lawns  which  once  stretched  before  palatial 
homes.  And  the  pools  along  the  shore  were  stinking  with 
the  remains  of  ill-fated  dogs,  cats,  chickens,  birds,  horses, 
cows  and  fish.  Shoreward  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach 
were  massive  piles  of  houses  and  timbers,  all  shattered 
and  torn. 

A  cloud  of  smoke  was  noticed  and  driving  to  the  scene 
we  found  a  large  number  of  men  feeding  the  flames  with 
the  timbers  of  the  wrecked  homes  which  once  gave  such 
a  charm  to  Galveston  beach. 

And  why  the  fire? 

The  men  were  burning  1,000  human  bodies  cast  up  by 
the  sea  and  the  fuel  was  the  timber  of  the  homes  which  the 
poor  victims  once  occupied !  And  yet  this  awful  spectacle 
was  but  a  fragment  of  the  murderous  work  of  the  greatest 
storm  which  has  swept  the  ocean's  shore  for  a  century ! 

There  were  dozens  of  piles  of  sand  in  every  direction 
along  that  mutilated  shore.  And  men  were  noticed  in  the 
distance  shoveling  these  uncanny  mounds. 

We  saw  what  they  were  doing.  The  bodies  brought  in 
by  the  tide  were  being  buried  deep  in  the  sand.  Driving 
beyond  the  grave  diggers  we  saw  prostrate  on  the  sand 
the  stark  and  swollen  forms  of  women  and  children,  and 
floating  further  out  in  the  tide  were  other  bodies  soon  to 
be  brought  in  to  be  buried.  The  waves  were  but  the 
hearses  bringing  in  the  dead  to  be  buried  in  the  sand  along 
the  shore.  It  is  the  contemplation  of  such  scenes  as  these 
that  stagger  consciousness  and  sting  the  human  soul. 

They  told  me  with  sad  humor  that  what  I  had  seen  was 


MOST  GREWSOME  PICTURE.  195 

as  nothing  to  what  I  could  have  seen  had  I  been  here 
Sunday  and  Monday  mornings.  - 1  am  glad,  then,  that  I 
did  not  come  sooner,  and  I  am  sorry  that  I  ever  came  at 
all.  What  I  have  seen  has  been  sufficient  to  make  me  mis- 
erable to  the  longest  day  of  my  life,  and  what  I  have 
heard  that  I  could  not  see  and  could  not  have  seen  had  I 
been  in  the  storm  will  haunt  me  by  night  and  day  as  long 
as  my  senses  remain.  I  am  telling  an  incident  repeated 
to  me  by  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  distinguished 
citizens  of  Galveston.  On  Monday  seven  hundred  bodies 
had  been  gathered  in  one  house  near  the  bay  shore.  Kecog- 
nition  of  a  single  one  was  impossible.  The  bodies  were 
swollen  and  decomposition  was  setting  in  rapidly.  In- 
deed, the  odor  of  death  was  on  the  air  for  blocks.  What 
disposition  should  be  made  of  this  horrifying  mass  of 
human  flesh  was  an  imminent  problem.  While  the  matter 
was  under  discussion,  the  committee  was  informed  that 
there  was  no  time  to  waste  in  deliberation,  that  some  of 
the  bodies  were  already  bursting.  It  was  impossible  to 
bury  them,  and  they  could  not  be  incinerated  in  that  por- 
tion of  the  city  without  endangering  more  life  and  more 
property,  as  there  was  no  water  to  extinguish  a  fire  once 
started.  It  was  decided  to  load  the  bodies  on  a  barge,  tow 
it  out  to  sea  and  sink  them  with  weights.  That  was  the 
only  thing  to  be  done. 

Men  were  called  for  to  perform  this  awful  duty,  but 
they  quailed  at  the  task.  And  who  could  blame  them? 
They  were  told  that  quick  action  was  necessary,  or  a  pes- 
tilence might  come  and  sweep  off  the  balance  of  the  living. 
Still  they  were  immovable.  It  was  no  time  for  dallying. 

A  company  of  men  with  rifles  at  fixed  bayonets  were 
brought  to  the  scene  and  a  force  of  men  were  compelled 


196  MOST  GREW  SOME  PICTURE. 

at  the  point  of  the  bayonet  to  perform  this  sad,  sad  duty. 
One  by  one  the  dead  were  removed  to  the  barge,  every 
body  as  naked  as  it  had  come  into  the  world — men,  women 
and  children,  black  and  white,  all  classes  of  society  and 
station  and  condition  were  represented  in  that  putrid 
mass.  The  unwilling  men  who  were  performing  this 
awful  task  were  compelled  to  bind  cloths  about  their  nos- 
trils while  they  were  at  work  and  occasionally  citizens 
passed  whisky  among  them  to  nerve  them  to  their  duty. 

Who  can  conceive  of  the  horror  of  this  ? 

After  a  while  the  seven  hundred  dead  were  piled  upon 
the  barge  and  a  tug  pulled  them  slowly  out  to  sea.  Eigh- 
teen miles  out,  where  the  sea  was  rolling  high,  amid 
the  soughing  white  caps,  with  God's  benediction  breathed 
in  the  moaning  winds,  all  that  was  mortal  of  these  seven 
hundred  was  consigned  to  the  mystic  caves  of  the  deep. 

And  yet,  this  was  but  another  incident  of  the  sad  tragedy 
of  which  we  write. 

George  H.  Walker,  of  San  Antonio,  known  well  in 
theatrical  circles,  was  a  member  of  the  party  who  struggled 
all  day  Tuesday  to  get  to  Galveston,  and  he  landed  late  at 
night.  It  was  an  anxious  day  for  him,  for  this  was  the 
city  of  his  birth  and  before  the  storm  he  had  six  brothers 
and  five  sisters  living  here,  in  addition  to  his  son,  an  aunt 
and  his  mother-in-law. 

He  found  his  son  safe  and  many  other  members  of  his 
family.  They  told  him  how  the  boy,  Earl,  a  lad  of  15,  had 
at  the  height  of  the  tempest  placed  his  grandmother,  Mrs. 
C.  S.  Johnson,  on  the  roof  of  the  house  after  it  was  floating 
in  the  current,  and  had  made  a  second  trip  to  bring  his 
aunt  to  the  roof.  When  the  lad  returned  the  grandmother 
was  gone,  finding  in  the  raging  current  her  final  peace. 


MOST  GREWSOME  PICTURE.  19T 

The  boy  and  his  aunt,  another  Mrs.  Johnson,  clung  to  the 
roof  throughout  and  successfully  weathered  the  gale. 

George  Walker  found  later  on,  however,  that  his  brother 
Joe  and  his  stepbrother,  Nick  Donley,  had  been  swept  away 
to  feed  the  fury  of  the  storm. 

I  met  W.  K.  Knight,  of  Dallas,  who  arrived  yesterday 
at  noon.  He  told  me  that  he  had  found  his  mother,  two 
unmarried  sisters  and  a  married  sister,  Mrs.  E.  Webster, 
safe.  But  he,  too,  had  his  sorrow.  A  sister,  Mrs.  Ida 
Toothaker,  and  her  daughter  Etta,  were  lost,  and  his 
brother-in-law,  E.  Webster,  Sr.,  and  five  children,  Charley, 
George,  Kenneth,  Julia  and  Sarah,  had  joined  the  other 
two  loved  ones  on  the  bosom  of  the  unresting  sea. 

How  many  stories  of  sorrow  like  this  that  remain  to  be 
told  can  not  now  be  numbered.  The  anxious  people  who 
have  been  straggling  into  Galveston  from  a  distance  have 
usually  found  some  dear  relative  or  many  of  them  miss- 
ing and  numbered  among  the  thousands  who  became  in  a 
few  brief  hours  the  victims  of  the  remorseless  furies. 

It  is  with  reluctance  that  I  relate  one  case  that  came 
under  my  own  observation.  It  was  so  horrible  that  per- 
haps it  ought  not  to  be  told  at  all,  but  only  such  instances 
can  convey  a  faint  idea  of  the  horror  of  the  Galveston  dis- 
aster. While  rowing  near  the  Huntington  wharves  the 
naked  body  of  a  woman  was  observed  floating  in  the 
water,  with  a  half -born  infant  plainly  in  view. 

Mr.  L.  H.  Lewis,  of  Dallas,  arrived  yesterday  looking 
for  his  son,  George  Cabell  Lewis,  who  was  found  alive 
and  well.  Mr.  Lewis  said :  "I  helped  to  bury  sixteen  at 
Texas  City  last  (Tuesday)  night — all  Galveston  victims. 
They  buried  fifty-eight  there  Tuesday.  Coming  down 
Buffalo  bayou  I  saw  numberless  legs  and  arms,  mostly  of 


198  MOST  GREWSOME  PICTURE. 

women  and  children,  protruding  from  the  muck.  I  be- 
lieve there  are  hundreds  of  women  and  children  near  the 
meuth  of  the  bayou.  As  soon  as  men  can  be  found  to  do 
the  work  these  poor  victims  should  be  looked  after.  Un- 
questionably most  of  them  were  from  Galveston  island. 
Among  other  things  I  saw  were  tombstones  with  inscrip- 
tions in  German  and  rusty  caskets  which  had  been  beached 
by  the  waves." 

One  going  to  Galveston  four  days  after  the  storm  tells 
the  terrible  tale  in  this  succession  of  pictures : 

Against  a  barbed  wire  fence  the  bloated  carcasses  of 
cattle  had  floated — their  swollen  limbs  stiff  towards  the 
sky — and  yet  others  browsed  around  in  the  meadow  now 
which  was  a  roaring  sea  but  four  days  ago.  This  sight 
was  the  first  we  saw  of  death  and  every  man  in  the  car, 
as  if  to  avoid  the  fear  that  arose  in  the  mind  of  each,  began 
to  express  wonder  how  this  could  be — that  is,  that  some 
of  these  poor  brutes  were  dead  and  others  living.  It  was 
an  idiotic  talk,  but  a  beautiful  one  to  me.  For  it  showed 
that  the  arguments  had  fear  for  their  foundation  and  that 
fear  had  sympathy  for  its  foundation.  The  men  who 
talked  and  talked,  who  advanced  most  foolish  opinions, 
had  hearts  then  and  there  under  an  eclipse  of  fear  for 
their  fellow  man.  It  was  hoping  against  hope.  That  was 
apparent  to  every  man  of  us.  Yet  why  not  hope  ?  Why 
not,  even  if  it  was  ridiculous.  The  scrubby  trees  were 
denuded  of  leaves.  Could  a  man  or  woman  live  in  that  ? 
Yet  here  and  there  a  house,  even  now  tottering,  could  be 
seen,  and  some  distressed  human  being  be  seen  looking 
out  over  the  devastation  of  his  or  her  all.  And  so  they 
could  live  and  hope  would  take  on  a  new  life. 

Then  the  pampa  began  to  show  what  the  storm  fiend 


MOST  GREW  SOME  PICTURE.  199 

could  do.  The  grass  was  laid  low  in  its  track.  It  was 
trod  heavily,  brutally  here.  It  was  angry  at  this  spot 
beyond  a  doubt.  The  train  went  on.  As  it  went  it  seemed 
to  puff  in  a  more  quiet  way.  It  might  have  been  imagina- 
tion, but  if  it  was  imagination  it  was  not  confined  to  any 
man.  The  talk  ceased.  The  machine  that  pulled  us  did 
not  make  a  noise.  Hope  had  gone  with  the  sight  of  the 
prairie  grass  laid  low.  Every  man  knew  he  was  within 
the  land  that  this  demon  had  lately  ruled.  The  train, 
merely  because  of  the  track,  went  slow.  This  added  to 
the  effect.  It  was  like  invading  the  territory  of  the  awful. 
It  was  a  funeral  cortege. 

Over  this  prairie  the  train  crept.  Debris  of  all  kinds 
covered  the  prairie.  It  was  from  Galveston,  because  it 
could  be  from  no  other  place.  Every  ant  hill  was  covered 
with  the  remnants  of  homes  in  the  city  six  miles  away. 
There  were  lace  curtains,  furniture  of  all  kinds,  but  mostly 
of  the  cheap  kind.  There  were  toys,  ladies'  toilet  articles, 
bed  clothes,  and  in  fact  everything  that  goes  to  make  up  a 
home.  This  point  was  Texas  City,  six  miles  away  from 
Galveston  across  the  bay.  The  town  had  suffered  badly. 
Human  lives  were  lost  there,  and  the  agony  of  it  was  great, 
but  above  all  was  the  idea :  What  of  across  the  way  ?  It 
was  six  miles  dead  across,  and  a  schooner  was  in  waiting 
to  take  us  over.  But  before  it  landed  there  was  a  chance 
of  observation  of  the  bay  line,  on  which  the  waters  now 
gently  lisped.  For  the  bay  was  as  gentle  as  a  country 
pond.  It  lapped  and  kissed  the  few  blades  of  grass  that 
grew  down  where  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  tide  was  natural. 
It  did  not  moan  like  the  sea.  It  merely  gurgled.  But 
every  little  wave  threw  up  and  agitated  the  dead.  The 
bloated  horses,  the  cows  which  provident  housekeepers  in 


200  MOST  GREWSOME  PICTURE. 

the  city  across  the  way  had  owned  and  petted  were  there. 
Chickens,  rats,  dogs,  cats,  and  everything,  it  seemed,  that 
breathed,  was  there,  dead  and  swollen  and  making  the  air 
nauseous.  But  by  their  sides  were  people.  The  worn- 
out  people  of  the  district,  having  saved  their  own  lives 
and  buried  their  own  dead,  were  quick  to  respond  to  nat- 
ural instincts  and  do  right  by  their  kind.  I  saw  them 
take  swollen  women,  and  swollen  men  and  swollen  chil- 
dren and  with  quick  shrift  place  them  in  two  feet  graves. 
It  was  terrible,  but  what  could  they  do?  There  were 
no  burial  services.  The  men  who  did  the  work  were  sim- 
ply doing  what  they  could  to  relieve  the  air  of  them.  They 
were  not  gentle,  but  how  could  they  be  gentle  when  they 
lay  there  with  their  black  faces,  their  terribly  swollen 
tongues  and  the  odor  of  decomposition  threatening  those 
that  lived  ? 

It  may  strike  the  mind  with  horror.  But  it  was  the 
only  solution.  There  were  fifty-eight  bodies  buried  in 
the  bleak  sands  that  day — buried  as  best  those  poor  un- 
fortunates could  bury  them — with  the  idea  wholly  that 
they  should  be  placed  where  their  relatives  could  after- 
wards find  them  and  to  protect  themselves  against  the  fur- 
ther exposition  to  the  element. 

In  the  debris  from  Galveston  was  everything.  I  walked 
about  it  and  was  impressed  with  the  idea  that  this  truly 
must  have  impressed  the  people  that  the  world  was  at 
an  end.  For  twenty-five  miles  on  the  land — into  the  in- 
terior— this  disorderly  element  raged.  It  destroyed  and 
it  marched — and  when  it  ceased  really  the  sea  hkd  given 
up  its  dead  and  the  secrets  of  life  were  revealed.  For 
walking  among  the  debris  I  found  a  truth.  It  had  been 
broken  over  by  the  violence  of  the  waves.  Letters,  blurred 


MOST  GREWSOMR  PICTURE.  201 

by  the  waters  were  drying  on  the  shingles  and  weather- 
boarding  of  Galveston  homes.  I  picked  up  one  and  it  be- 
gan, "My  Darling  Little  Wife."  And  I  closed  it  there  and 
threw  it  among  its  fellows  on  the  drift.  She  was  dead. 
She  had  kept  his  letters. 

No  man  has  been  busier  comforting  the  grief-stricken 
people  of  Galveston  than  Dr.  E.  C.  Buckner,  of  the  Buck- 
ner  orphan  home,  in  Dallas  county.  He  leaves  Thursday 
morning  for  his  institution  with  the  homeless  orphans  of 
the  Galveston  orphans'  home,  which  was  wrecked  by  the 
storm.  He  has  others  besides  these,  and  altogether  he  will 
take  one  hundred  home  with  him. 

What  a  grand  old  man  Dr.  Buckner  is !  I  will  take  off 
my  hat  to  him  any  day  in  the  week.  I  have  known  him 
for  years  and  there  is  not  a  nobler  character  alive.  I  saw 
him  at  Sherman  when  that  city  was  ravished  by  a  cyclone 
several  years  ago.  He  was  there  looking  for  orphans,  and 
I  know  that  he  has  always  been  quick  to  reach  the  scene  of 
disaster  and  death.  He  got  here  Tuesday  afternoon  and 
lost  no  time  in  reaching  his  part  of  the  work,  and  heaven 
knows  there  was  none  more  important  than  that  to  which 
he  assigned  himself.  But  the  people  of  Texas  ought  to 
know  what  he  has  done.  They  have  always  loved  the 
Buckner  home.  They  know  what  it  has  done  in  the  way 
of  rescuing  destitute  children.  They  know  that  hundreds 
of  good  men  and  women  of  the  State  have  come  from  that 
institution — men  and  women  who  have  become  successful 
in  life  and  who  honor  the  State  and  the  home  by  their 
useful  and  upright  lives.  But  Texas  will  have  greater 
cause  than  ever  to  love  and  revere  Dr.  Buckner  and  his 
institution  when  it  is  known  that  he  has  added  to  his  fam- 
ily a  hundred  hapless  victims  of  the  Galveston  storm, 
making  in  all  400  in  his  entire  family. 


CHAPTEE   XII. 

INCIDENTS  THAT  MAKE  UP  THE  HISTORY  OF  HORRORS. 

Mr.  Gray's  house  fell  and  he  fought  his  way  out  with 
a  wife  who  was  just  out  of  a  sick  bed.  He  managed  to  get 
to  the  next  house  with  her.  This  was  the  home  of  Ed 
Hunter.  That  house  went  between  6 :30  and  7,  and  the 
Hunter  family  was  lost.  Mr.  Gray  caught  a  transom,  put 
the  arm  of  his  wife  through  it,  and  soon  found  that  the 
transom  belonged  to  the  side  of  the  house,  about  20x20 
feet  in  size.  It  was  nothing  but  the  side  of  the  house  made 
of  ordinary  siding  and  studding.  He  swung  onto  this  and 
even  now  does  not  understand  how  it  stood  up  under  them. 
All  the  time  he  kept  telling  his  wife  to  hold  onto  him, 
and  this  she  did.  Along  in  the  night  the  raft  struck  a 
tree  and  was  swept  from  under  them.  Gray  caught  a  limb 
with  his  wife  still  clinging  to  him.  By  this  time  he  was 
almost  completely  exhausted,  but  he  managed  by  a  hun- 
dred successive  efforts  to  get  his  wife  into  the  tree.  A 
little  later  a  colored  man  was  seen  coming  through  the 
water.  Gray  called  to  him  to  take  to  the  lower  limbs 
and  not  to  come  higher,  for  he  was  afraid  the  tree  with 
three  people  on  it  would  be  made  top-heavy.  When  day- 
light came  he  took  his  wife  in  his  arms  and  told  the  negro 
to  go  ahead  for  a  house  they  saw  in  the  distance,  for  had 
there  been  any  holes  he  wanted  to  be  advised  of  it  before 
he  went  into  them  with  his  wife,  for  it  was  all  he  could 
do  to  push  through  the  water  in  his  exhausted  condition. 
After  working  until  10  o'clock  he  reached  the  high  land 
in  the  Denver  resurvey  and  eventually  got  to  town.  Not 


INCIDENTS  OF  HORROR.  203 

until  yesterday  had  he  sufficiently  recovered  from  his  ex- 
haustion to  come  onto  the  streets. 

Monday  afternoon  workmen  in  digging  bodies  from 
the  debris  found  one  of  a  handsome  man  with  dark  hair 
and  mustache  and  dressed  in  a  light  suit  of  clothes.  He 
was  on  his  knees,  his  eyes  were  uplifted  and  his  clasped 
hands  were  extended  as  in  prayer.  It  was  evident  that 
the  man  had  been  praying  when  he  was  struck  and  in- 
stantly killed.  As  a  rule  the  attitudes  of  those  who  were 
found  were  with  hands  extended  up  as  if  endeavoring  to 
save  themselves. 

A  young  man  by  the  name  of  Wash  Masterson  heard 
the  cries  of  some  people  outside.  They  were  calling  for 
a  rope.  He  had  no  rope,  but  improvised  one  from  bed 
sheets  and  started  out  to  find  the  people  who  were  calling. 
The  wind  and  water  soon  tore  his  rope  to  shreds  and  he 
had  to  return  to  the  house,  where  he  made  another  and 
stronger  rope.  The  cries  of  the  people  still  filled  his  ears. 
He  went  out  a  second  time  and  after  being  gone  for  what 
seemed  an  hour  or  more  to  those  who  were  waiting  he 
returned  with  the  people.  They  had  clung  to  the  branches 
of  a  salt  cedar  tree.  Mr.  Masterson  was  not  satisfied  with 
that,  but  went  out  for  other  people  immediately,  the  water 
having  begun  to  fall  about  that  time,  and  worked  all  night. 

A  little  black  dog  stood  barking  over  a  sand  hill  in  the 
west  end  beyond  Woollam'  lake.  Those  who  endeavored 
to  stop  his  barking  by  driving  him  away  did  not  succeed 
for  he  returned  as  soon  as  they  ceased  their  attempts.  It 
was  suggested  that  he  was  guarding  a  body,  but  others 
scouted  the  idea.  Finally  they  dug  beneath  the  spot 
where  the  dog  stood,  and  there  they  found  the  remains  of 
a  young  girl  whom  they  identified  by  the  rings  she  wore 


204  INCIDENTS  OF  HORROR. 

as  Miss  Lena  Everhart,  a  popular  little  lady,  well  known 
both  in  Galveston  and  Dallas.  This  whole  family,  with 
the  exception  of  one  son,  Elmer  Everhart,  and  a  daughter, 
Mrs.  Robert  Brown,  who  lives  near  Dickinson  and  was 
there  at  the  time,  was  lost.  The  father  ran  a  dairy  just 
southwest  of  Woollam's  lake. 

At  Twelfth  and  Sealy  avenue  there  lived  a  colored  man 
and  his  wife.  There  was  a  grocery  on  the  corner  and 
those  who  weathered  the  storm  report  that  he  stood  near 
the  beer  keg  in  the  barroom  of  the  grocery  drinking 
steadily  until  he  was  swept  away,  his  idea  evidently  being 
to  destroy  consciousness  before  the  storm  did  it  for  him. 
His  body  was  picked  out  of  a  pile  of  debris  between 
Twelfth  and  Thirteenth  on  Sealy  avenue. 

Wednesday. — While  working  with  a  gang  of  men  clear- 
ing the  wreckage  of  a  large  number  of  houses  on  ave- 
nue O  and  Center  street  to-day,  Mr.  John  Vance  found  a 
live  prairie  dog  locked  in  the  drawer  of  a  bureau.  It  is 
impossible  to  identify  the  house  or  the  name  of  its  former 
occupant,  as  several  houses  were  piled  together  in  a  mass 
of  brick  and  timber.  The  bureau  was  pulled  out  of  the 
wreckage  a  few  feet  from  the  ground,  where  it  had  been 
buried  beneath  about  ten  feet  of  debris.  The  little  ani- 
mal seemed  none  the  worse  from  his  experience  of  four 
days  locked  up  in  a  drawer  beneath  a  mountain  of  wreck- 


Wednesday. — The  destruction  of  the  Catholic  orphans' 
home  and  the  loss  of  75  lives  with  it  was  told  by  one  of 
three  boys  who  came  through  a  terrible  experience  by  flint 
of  good  Providence. 

The  three  boys  who  came  through  with  scratches  and 


\ 


\ 


INCIDENTS  OF  HORROR.  207 

cuts  and  bruises  and  their  lives  are  Albert  Campbell, 
aged  13;  Francis  Bolenick,  aged  14,  and  Will  Murney, 
aged  13.  Murney  is  much  the  larger  boy  of  the  three, 
the  other  two  being  rather  undersized.  He  went  to  a 
sister  living  on  Twenty-sixth  and  Market  streets  and  was 
not  seen.  The  other  two  were  taken  to  St.  Mary's  in- 
firmary, where  their  wounds  were  dressed  and  they  were 
seen  yesterday  by  a  reporter  for  the  News.  The  Bolenick 
boy  can  not  speak  much  English,  so  it  devolved  entirely 
upon  the  Campbell  boy  to  tell  the  tale. 

According  to  the  story  of  this  boy  all  the  children  were 
gathered  with  the  sisters  and  the  two  workmen  in  the 
chapel  on  the  ground  floor  in  the  west  wing  of  the  build- 
ing. The  storm  was  raging  terribly  outside  and  they  all 
engaged  in  prayer.  The  east  wing  finally  went  down  and 
they  were  driven  from  the  chapel  to  the  floor  above,  the 
water  coming  in  and  threatening  to  drown  them.  Some 
clambered  out  on  the  roof  of  the  part  remaining,  but  not 
all.  Finally  along  about  8  o'clock — they  are  not  positive 
as  to  the  time  by  an  hour — the  remainder  of  the  building 
went  and  the  roof  went  into  the  water.  What  became  of 
the  others  nobody  can  say.  Campbell  only  knows  that  he 
got  out  from  the  building  somehow  and  caught  a  piece  of 
drift,  either  a  part  of  the  roof  or  something  of  the  sort. 
The  Murney  boy  broke  through  a  transom  and  got  out. 
He  drifted  for  some  time,  and  finally  caught  a  tree  to 
which  he  clung  and  soon  found  that  the  two  other  boys  had 
caught  the  same  tree.  Prior  to  that  they  had  been  sepa- 
rated, but  a  strange  fate  attracted  them  to  the  same  place. 
This  tree,  it  developed  later,  had  caught  in  the  masts  of 
the  wreck  of  the  schooner  John  S.  Ames,  which  lies  al- 
most to  the  south  of  the  home.  There  they  remained  all 


208  INCIDENTS  OF  HORROR. 

night.  'At  one  time  Campbell  was  about  to  give  up  and 
cried  that  he  was  drowning.  The  Murney  boy  caught  him 
and  lashed  him  to  the  mast  with  a  piece  of  rope  that  he 
found  there.  In  that  way  was  his  life  saved. 

When  morning  came  they  found  that  they  were  alone 
in  the  open  gulf  on  a  tree.  The  tree  soon  broke  adrift 
from  the  mast,  and,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  brought  them 
inshore.  They  finally  landed  and  started  west,  not  know- 
ing which  direction  to  take.  They  finally  brought  up  at 
a  house  something  like  two  miles  from  the  place  where 
the  home  had  been  but  so  recently  located.  There  they 
found  their  location,  but  were  unable  to  get  anything  to 
eat  because  the  woman  in  the  house  had  nothing  herself. 
So  they  came  on  toward  the  city,  but  it  was  a  long,  hard 
pull  through  wet  sand,  and  hungry  and  faint  for  the  want 
of  fresh  water  and  food,  they  brought  up  at  a  house  that 
had  gone  through  the  storm,  was  partly  demolished  and  at 
the  back  of  which  was  another  house  supporting  it.  There 
they  remained  during  Sunday  night,  and  were  afraid 
every  minute  that  the  force  of  the  little  blow  that  came  up 
during  the  night  would  demolish  the  place  of  refuge.  But 
it  stood,  and  in  the  morning  they  started  on,  reaching  the 
home  of  young  Murney  during  the  day.  There  they  got 
food  and  dry  clothes.  The  other  two  boys  were  taken  to 
the  infirmary. 

It  is  the  local  account  that  during  the  day  before  the 
hurricane  broke  upon  Galveston,  the  weather  "had  been 
cutting  up  didoes  and  blowing  every  which  way."  This 
was  Friday  and  the  storm  center  was  deflected  west  and 
north,  going  out  of  the  usual  way  to  strike  Galveston.  On 
Saturday  the  gale  increased,  and  then  came  a  hard  driving 


INCIDENTS  OF  HORROR.  209 

rain.  The  waves  were  continually  rising,  striking  the 
bulk  heading  of  the  wharves  with  mighty  force  and  burst- 
ing clouds  of  spray.  The  breakers  with  angry  woes  called 
up  the  beach.  At  times  the  waves  would  recede,  leaving 
the  beach  almost  bare  of  water,  and  then,  as  if  gathering 
force  anew  they  would  sweep  in,  rolling  several  feet  high, 
passing  over  the  shelving  beach,  lapping  over  the  tracks  of 
the  street  railway  and  gushing  the  water  into  avenue  R. 

Early  in  the  forenoon  the  waves  were  leaping  at  times 
over  the  trestle  work  of  the  street  railway  along  the  beach 
front,  making  it  impossible  to  operate  the  cars  around  the 
belt,  as  the  water  would  have  burned  out  the  motors.  The 
cars  were  therefore  operated  between  town  and  the  gulf  on 
the  double  tracks  of  either  side  of  the  belt  line.  A  little 
later  in  the  forenoon  the  waves  undermined  the  track  at 
Twenty-second  street. 

The  platform  which  supported  the  photograph  gallery  at 
the  Pagoda  bath  house  was  washed  away.  This  was  not  a 
part  of  the  original  structure  and  was  not  as  strongly  built 
as  the  remainder  of  the  bath  house.  The  bath  house  proper 
and  its  pier,  extending  out  to  sea,  were  not  at  that  time 
(Saturday  noon)  disturbed  by  the  waves,  although  the  high 
rollers  at  times  dashed  so  near  the  flooring  of  this  and  the 
other  bath  houses  that  it  looked  like  a  rise  of  a  few  inches 
would  punch  up  the  flooring. 

The  scene  at  the  beach  was  grand.  The  sea  in  its  anger 
was  a  sight  beautiful,  though  awe  inspiring,  to  behold. 
Notwithstanding  the  wind  and  the  driving  rain,  thousands 
of  people  went  to  the  beach  to  behold  the  maddened  sea, 
and  the  street  cars  were  kept  quite  busy.  Down  town, 
during  the  early  morning,  when  the  rain  was  not  so  heavy, 
there  seemed  no  apparent  necessity  for  getting  into  rainy 


210  INCIDENTS  OF  HORROR. 

day  garb,  to  make  this  trip  to  the  beach,  and  many  people 
went  out  in  their  best  bibs  and  tuckers,  to  their  sorrow. 
Well  dressed  men  and  women  disembarked  from  the  cars 
at  the-  beach  and  picked  their  way  amid  the  swirling  pools 
of  water  and  the  spent  waves  to  get  into  midway  and 
to  pass  along  to  places  where  a  good  view  of  the  sea  might 
be  obtained.  For  a  few  minutes  they  succeeded  in  keeping 
feet  and  bodies  reasonably  dry,  but  using  umbrellas 
counted  for  naught  and  were  sooned  turned  wrong  side 
out  or  ripped  into  ribbons,  and  their  owners  getting  par- 
tially wet,  abandoned  themselves  to  the  inevitable  and 
went  around  seeing  the  sights,  caring  not  for  the  weather, 
nor  worrying  about  their  good  duds.  Some  people  with 
abundant  foresight  appeared  on  the  scene  in  bathing  suits, 
and  of  course  they  were  right  in  it  from  the  jump. 

At  Twenty-fifth  street  the  big  waves  rolled  up  the  shelv- 
ing beach,  crossed  the  street  railway  tracks,  leaving  the 
water  impounded  behind  the  embankment.  These  waters 
backed  up  in  the  ditches  and  the  low  places  of  the  street 
as  far  as  avenue  1ST,  and  the  supply  being  ever  replenished 
both  from  the  sea  and  from  the  clouds,  there  was  no  op- 
portunity for  this  water  to  run  off. 

Milton  Elford,  the  son  of  John  Elford,  who,  together 
with  his  wife  and  little  grandson,  Dwight,  was  drowned 
in  the  disastrous  flood  at  Galveston,  and  who  himself  was 
at  Galveston  through  the  terrible  catastrophe,  has  written 
to  his  brothers,  George  and  Edgar  Elford,  merchants  of 
Langdon,  "N.  D.,  the  story  of  his  experiences.  A  copy  of 
this  letter  has  been  transmitted  to  A.  B.  Elford,  another 
brother,  residing  at  No.  269  South  Lincoln  street,  and 
Mrs.  A.  E.  Me  Wood,  a  cousin,  residing  at  No.  928  West 
Fifty-ninth  street,  this  city,  and  is  given  below: 


INCIDENTS  OF  HORROR.  211 

"Galveston,  September  14,  1900.— Dear  Brothers: 
This  is  Thursday.  Five  days  we  have  put  in  since  the 
storm  and  tidal  wave;  and  they  have  been  days  of  awful 
suspense  to  me.  It  seems  that  I  have  been  dazed.  I  have 
not  been  able  to  collect  my  thoughts  until  to-day.  I  have 
not  found  any  of  the  remains  yet,  but  expect  to  find  them 
to-morrow.  I  will  either  find  them  in  about  two  days  or 
not  at  all,  for  they  will  have  all  the  debris  overturned 
in  the  locality,  and,  if  they  are  not  there,  then  they  have 
drifted  out  to  sea,  which  I  think  is  very  unlikely. 

'•'The  city  is  under  martial  law,  and  soldiers  are  patrol- 
ling every  street  day  and  night.  Every  man  has  got  to 
work,  if  able  and  can  leave  his  own  business.  They  have 
orders  to  burn  all  the  dead  bodies  as  fast  as  they  find 
them,  but  I  have  a  permit  from  the  General  not  to  be 
interfered  with,  and  to  bury  or  take  the  corpses.  I  have 
an  undertaker,  with  metallic  coffins,  who  will  take  charge 
on  a  minute's  notice.  I  have  been  helping  clear  away  the 
debris,  that  is,  where  we  are  most  likely  to  find  them. 
There  are  hundreds  of  men  working  there,  but  the  work 
moves  on  slowly;  it  is  so  twisted  and  wedged  in  as  to  be 
almost  impossible  to  get  it  out.  It  is  an  awful  sight. 
Every  few  minutes,  somewhere  within  a  block  of  us,  they 
find  dead  bodies,  and  often  where  there  is  one  there  are 
more.  Yesterday  we  took  out  twelve  from  one  spot.  It- 
was  a  large  house,  and  they  had  gathered  there  for  safety, 
and  all  died  together,  wedged  in  between  ceiling  and  fioor. 

"There  are  hundreds  of  houses  in  one  heap,  and  you 
can  scarcely  recognize  a  single  piece.  Eor  three  to  five 
blocks  wide  and  for  about  four  miles,  solid  blocks  of 
dwellings  and  hotels  and  the  residence  part  of  the  city, 
there  is  not  a  vestige  left — not  a  board.  It  is  all  swept 


212  INCIDENTS  OF  HORROR. 

clean  and  banked  up  in  a  pile  reaching  all  around  from 
bay  to  beach. 

"They  have  got  the  names  now  of  over  2,900,  and  that 
is  not  half  that  have  been  drowned.  I  do  not  think  that 
more  than  200  have  been  buried  in  coffins.  Hundreds 
were  taken  to  sea  and  put  overboard,  and  hundreds  more 
are  being  burned  every  day,  and  hundreds  are  yet  to  be 
dug  out  of  the  debris. 

"The  Catholic  Orphans'  home  collapsed  with  about  200 
— all  the  children  and  several  neighbors  that  gathered  for 
safety.  The  street  car  works  went  down,  with  about  forty 
employes,  and  hundreds  of  houses  went  down  with  from 
one  to  fifty  people.  A  great  many  must  have  been  killed, 
after  getting  on  rafts,  by  flying  boards.  I  came  very 
near  it. 

"I  keep  thinking  how  we  might  have  averted  it  by  acting 
differently,  but  I  suppose  there  is  no  use  of  thinking  about 
that  now.  We  left  our  house  about  4  o'clock,  thinking  we 
would  be  safer  in  a  larger  house,  not  dreaming  that  even 
that  house  would  be  washed  away.  We  went  across  the 
street  to  a  fine,  large  house,  built  on  a  brick  foundation 
high  off  the  ground.  About  5  it  grew  worse  and  began  to 
break  up  the  fence,  and  the  wreckage  of  other  houses 
was  coming  against  us.  We  had  it  arranged  that  if  the 
house  showed  signs  of  breaking  up  I  would  take  the  lead, 
and  pa  would  come  next,  with  Dwight  and  ma  next.  In 
this  way  I  could  make  a  safe  place  to  walk,  as  we  would 
have  to  depend  on  floating  debris  for  rafts.  There  were 
about  fifteen  or  sixteen  in  the  house  besides  ourselves. 
They  were  confident  the  house  would  stand  anything;  if 
not  for  that  we  would  probably  have  left  on  rafts  before 
the  house  went  down.  We  all  gathered  in  one  room;  all 


INCIDENTS  OF  HORROR.  213 

at  once  the  house  went  from  its  foundation  and  the  water 
came  in  waist-deep,  and  we  all  made  a  break  for  the  door, 
but  could  not  get  it  open.  We  then  smashed  out  the  win- 
dow and  I  led  the  way. 

"I  had  only  got  part  way  out  when  the  house  fell  on  us. 
I  was  hit  on  the  head  with  something  and  it  knocked  me 
out  and  into  the  water  head  first.  I  do  not  know  how  long 
I  was  down,  as  I  must  have  been  stunned.  I  came  up  and 
got  hold  of  some  wreckage  on  the  other  side  of  the  house. 
I  could  see  one  man  on  some  wreckage  to  my  left  and  an- 
other on  my  right.  I  went  back  to  the  door  that  we  could 
not  open.  It  was  broken  in,  and  I  could  go  part  way  in, 
as  one  side  of  the  ceiling  was  not  within  four  or  five  feet, 
I  think,  of  the  water.  There  was  not  a  thing  in  sight.  I 
went  back  and  got  on  the  other  side,  but  no  one  ever  came 
up  that  I  could  see.  We  must  have  all  gone  down  the  same 
time,  but  I  cannot  tell  why  they  did  not  come  up,  unless 
it  is  that  when  the  house  broke  the  wall  loosened  from  the 
floor,  and  with  the  lurch  they  were  thrown  through  the 
crevice  and  held  down  by  the  floor,  or  floor  of  the  veranda 
outside.  There  was  a  large  man  there,  with  his  wife  and 
family ;  he  was  over  six  feet,  and  I  do  not  think  the  water 
was  over  that  on  the  floor  when  I  went  back.  It  was  a 
wonder  I  did  not  get  killed  when  I  returned,  as  I  just 
got  out  again  as  it  all  went  flat.  I  then  started  to  leave 
by  partly  running  and  swimming  from  one  lot  of  debris  to 
another.  The  street  was  full  of  tops  and  sides  of  houses, 
and  the  air  was  full  of  flying  boards.  I  think  I  gained 
about  a  block  on  the  debris  in  this  way,  and  got  in  the 
shelter  of  some  buildings,  but  they  were  fast  going  down, 
and  I  was  afraid  of  getting  buried. 

"Just  then  the  part  that  I  was  on  started  down  the 


214  INCIDENTS  OF  HORROR. 

street,  and  I  stuck  my  head  and  shoulders  in  an  old  tool 
chest  that  was  lying  in  the  debris  that  I  was  on.  I  could 
hardly  hold  this  down  on  its  side  from  being  blown  away, 
but  that  is  what  saved  my  life  again.  When  the  water 
went  down  at  about  3  a.  m.  I  was  about  five  blocks  from 
where  I  started.  My  head  was  bruised  and  legs  and  hands 
cut  a  little,  which  I  did  not  find  out  until  Monday,  and 
then  I  could  hardly  get  my  hat  on.  I  saved  what  I  had  on 
— pants,  shirts,  shoes,  and  one  suit  of  underwear,  and  a 
five-dollar  bill. 

"As  soon  as  it  was  light  enough  I  went  back  to  the  lo- 
cation of  the  house,  and  not  a  sign  of  it  could  be  found,  and 
not  a  sign  of  any  house  within  two  blocks,  where  before 
there  was  scarcely  a  vacant  lot.  I  then  went  to  the  city 
hall  to  see  the  chief  of  police,  to  get  some  help  to  recover 
the  corpses,  thinking,  I  guess,  that  I  was  the  only  one 
in  that  fix.  The  firemen  and  others  started  before  noon 
to  bring  in  corpses ;  they  brought  them  in  in  wagon  loads 
of  about  a  dozen  at  a  time,  laid  them  in  rows  to  be  identi- 
fied, and  the  next  day  they  were  badly  decomposed,  and 
were  loaded  on  boats  and  taken  to  sea,  only  to  wash  back 
on  the  beach.  They  then  started  to  bury  them  wherever 
they  were  found,  but  yesterday  (Wednesday)  the  corpses 
were  ordered  burned.  Men  started  removing  the  debris 
and  burning  it,  and  when  they  come  to  a  corpse  it  is  just 
thrown  on  the  pile. 

"Pa  had  $400  to  his  credit  at  a  bank,  but  of  course  I 
could  not  get  it ;  they  would  not  talk  to  me  at  all,  but  after 
I  telegraphed  to  you  for  money  I  was  able  to  get  identi- 
fied, and  they  have  agreed  to  let  me  use  it  for  any  ex- 
penses connected  with  this. 

"It  is  the  most  awful  thing  of  the  kind  that  has  ever 


INCIDENTS  OF  HORROR.  215 

happened  in  history.  Hundreds  of  families  have  gone 
down,  and  not  a  sign  of  anything  left  of  them.  It  seemed 
they  were  all  cool  to  the  very  last.  Pa  had  Dwight  in 
his  arms,  and  ma  was  right  by  his  side,  just  ready  to  step 
out  of  the  window;  we  all  went  down  the  same 
instant.  It  seemed  that  the  house  fell  in  an  instant.  If  I 
had  not  been  hit  on  the  head  by  something  I  might  not 
have  got  out  either.  It  seemed  all  the  way  through  that 
they  were  to  go  and  I  was  to  be  saved.  The  last  few  min- 
utes was  a  terrible  time ;  some  were  on  their  knees ;  others 
were  wild  with  fright.  I  had  kept  telling  ma  that  we  were 
safe,  and  about  the  last  words  she  said  were  that  God 
would  take  care  of  us  anyway.  Pa  was  perfectly  cool,  and 
so  was  Dwight,  when  we  all  at  once  went  waist  deep  in 
water. 

"I  cannot  begin  to  tell  you  what  an  awful  suspense  that 
was,  shut  in  and  the  water  rising,  and  we  unable  to  get 
the  door  open.  But  it  seemed  when  the  crash  came  it  was 
all  over  in  a  second.  I  am  satisfied  they  did  not  fear 
death  in  the  least,  and  I  do  not  believe  they  suffered. 

"If  I  do  not  find  anything  in  two  days  I  will  have  to 
give  it  up,  I  think,  but  we  can  do  them  no  good  now.  I 
am  getting  along  all  right  now,  but  for  two  or  three  days 
the  food  and  water  question  was  a  problem. 

"MILTOK" 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE   GALVESTOJST  ACCOUNT   OF  THE  KUIN  BEYOND  DESCRIP- 
TION. 

Galveston  journalism  has  for  some  time  been  recognized 
by  all  acquainted  with  the  progressive  development  of 
American  journalism — the  Southern  part  of  it  in  many 
respects  notable  and  commendable — as  of  honorable  dis- 
tinction. The  growth  of  the  dignity  and  the  prosperity 
of  the  Southern  press  has,  since  the  days  of  the  recon- 
struction after  the  big  war,  been  more  rapid  than  that 
of  any  other  section  of  the  Union.  Texas  abounded  in 
strong  journals,  and  the  press  of  New  Orleans,  Memphis, 
Nashville,  Louisville,  Birmingham,  Atlanta,  Mobile, 
SavannaH,  Charlestown,  and  Richmond  has  taken  high 
rank. 

The  work  of  the  Galveston  News  in  the  history  of 
the  ever  memorable  hurricane  that  wrecked  the  city,  is, 
considering  all  the  surroundings,  a  wonderful  achieve- 
ment, and  one  that  will  be  regarded  by  the  members  of 
the  press  throughout  the  world  as  of  extraordinary  merit 
— the  one  thing  that  was  equal  to  the  occasion — worthy 
the  opportunity  of  the  occasion.  Doubtless  the  success 
of  the  News  is  largely  due  the  curious  dual  character 
of  the  News  of  Galveston  and  the  News  of  Dallas.  The 
resources  of  the  office  not  in  the  sweep  of  the  terrific 
devastation,  were  available.  It  was  the  feeling  of  the 
special  correspondents,  though  much  extremely  good 
work  was  done,  that  they  had  not  been  equal  to  the  task, 
for  it  was,  as  the  Galveston  News  says  in  a  head  line, 

216 


GALVESTON  ACCOUNT.  217 

"Beyond  Description."  The  gap — though  the  special  cor- 
respondence was  most  faithfully  and  competently  written 
— is  filled  by  the  local  paper  in  issues  that  will  be  famous. 
We  quote  the  opening  paragraphs : 

"Galveston,  Wednesday. — Galveston  has  been  the  scene 
of  one  of  the  greatest  catastrophes  in  the  world's  his- 
tory. The  story  of  the  great  storm  of  Saturday,  Sep- 
tember 8,  1900,  will  never  be  told.  Words  are  too  weak 
to  express  the  horror,  the  awfulness,  of  the  storm  itself; 
to  even  faintly  picture  the  scene  of  devastation,  wreck  and 
ruin,  misery,  suffering  and  grief.  Even  those  who  were 
miraculously  saved  after  terrible  experiences,  who  were 
spared  to  learn  that  their  families  and  property  had  been 
swept  away,  spared  to  witness  scenes  as  horrible  as  the 
eye  of  man  ever  looked  upon — even  those  can  not  tell  the 
story.  There  are  stories  of  horrible  deaths,  thousands  of 
stories  of  individual  heroism,  stories  of  wonderful  rescues 
and  escapes,  each  of  which  at  another  time  would  be  a 
marvel  in  itself  and  would  command  the  interest  of  the 
world.  But  in  a  time  like  this,  when  a  storm  so  intense  in 
its  fury,  so  prolonged  in  its  work  of  destruction,  so  wide 
in  its  scope,  and  so  infinitely  terrible  in  its  consequences 
has  swept  an  entire  city  and  neighboring  towns  for  many 
miles  on  either  side,  the  human  mind  can  not  comprehend 
all  of  the  horror,  can  not  learn  or  know  all  of  the  dreadful 
particulars.  One  stands  speechless  and  powerless  to  re- 
late even  that  which  he  has  felt  and  knows. 

"Gifted  writers  have  told  of  storms  at  sea,  of  the  wreck- 
ing of  vessels,  where  hundreds  of  lives  were  at  stake  and 
lost.  That  task  pales  into  insignificance  when  compared 
with  the  task  of  telling  of  a  storm  which  threatened  the 
lives  of  perhaps  60,000  people,  sent  to  their  death  per- 


218  &ALVEST&N  ACCOUNT. 

haps  5,000  people,  and  left  other  thousands  wounded, 
homeless  and  destitute,  and  still  others  to  cope  with  grave 
responsibilities  to  relieve  the  stricken,  to  grapple  with  and 
prevent  anarchy's  reign,  to  clear  the  water-sodden  land  of 
putrefying  bodies  and  rotting  carcasses,  to  perform  tasks 
that  try  men's  souls  and  sicken  their  hearts.  The  storm 
at  sea  is  terrible,  but  there  are  no  such  dreadful  conse- 
quences as  those  which  have  followed  the  storm  on  this  sea- 
coast.  And  it  is  men  who  passed  through  the  terrors  of  the 
storm,  who  faced  death  for  hours,  men  ruined  in  property 
and  bereft  of  families,  who  took  up  the  herculean  and  well 
nigh  impossible  task  of  bringing  order  out  of  chaos,  of 
caring  for  the  living  and  getting  the  dead  away  before 
they  made  life  impossible  here. 

"The  storm  came  not  without  warning,  but  the  danger 
which  threatened  was  not  realized,  not  even  when  the 
storm  was  upon  the  city.  Friday  night  the  sea  was  angry. 
Saturday  morning  it  had  grown  in  fury  and  the  wrecking 
of  the  beach  resorts  began.  The  waters  of  the  gulf  pushed 
inland.  The  wind  came  at  a  terrific  rate  from  the  north. 
Still  men  went  to  their  business  and  about  their  work, 
while  hundreds  went  to  the  beach  to  witness  the  grand 
spectacle  which  the  raging  sea  presented.  As  the  hours 
rolled  on  the  wind  gained  in  velocity  and  the  waters  crept 
higher  and  higher.  The  wind  changed  from  the  north  to 
the  northeast,  and  the  water  came  in  from  the  bay,  filling 
the  streets  and  running  like  a  mill  race.  Still  the  great 
danger  was  not  realized.  Men  attempted  to  reach  their 
homes  in  carriages,  wagons,  boats,  afoot,  in  any  way  pos- 
sible. Others  went  out  in  the  storm  for  a  lark.  As  the 
day  wore  on  the  water  increased  in  depth,  and  the  wind 
tore  more  madly  over  the  island.  Men  who  had  delayed 


GALVESTON  ACCOUNT.  219 

starting  for  home,  hoping  for  an  abatement  of  the  storm, 
concluded  that  the  storm  would  grow  worse,  and  went  out 
in  that  howling,  raging,  furious  storm,  wading  through 
water  almost  to  their  necks,  dodging  flying  missiles  swept 
by  a  wind  blowing  100  miles  an  hour. 

"Still  the  wind  increased  in  velocity,  even  after  it 
seemed  impossible  that  it  should  be  more  swift.  It 
changed  from  east  to  southeast,  veering  constantly,  calm- 
ing for  a  second,  and  then  coming  with  awful,  terrific 
jerks,  so  terrible  in  their  power  that  no  building  could 
withstand  them,  and  none  wholly  escaped  injury.  The 
maximum  velocity  of  the  wind  will  never  be  known.  The 
gauge  at  the  weather  bureau  registered  100  miles  an  hour 
and  blew  away  at  5 :10  o'clock.  But  the  storm  at  that 
hour  was  as  nothing  when  compared  with  what  followed 
and  the  maximum  velocity  must  have  been  as  great  as 
120  miles  an  hour.  The  most  intense  period  and  the 
most  anxious  time  was  between  8  :30  and  9  o'clock.  With 
a  raging  sea  rolling  around  them,  with  a  wind  so  terrific 
that  none  could  hope  to  escape  its  fury,  with  roofs  being 
torn  away  and  buildings  crashing  all  around  them,  men, 
women  and  children  were  huddled  in  buildings,  caught 
like  rats,  expecting  to  be  crushed  to  death  or  drowned  in 
the  sea,  yet  cut  off  from  escape.  Buildings  were  torn 
down,  burying  their  hundreds,  and  were  swept  inland, 
piling  up  great  heaps  of  wreckage.  Hundreds  of  people 
were  thrown  into  the  water  in  the  height  of  the  storm, 
some  to  meet  instant  death,  others  to  struggle  for  a  time 
in  vain,  and  thousands  of  others  to  escape  death  in  most 
miraculous  and  marvelous  ways.  Hundreds  of  the  dead 
were  washed  across  the  island  and  the  bay,  many  miles 
inland.  Hundreds  of  bodies  were  buried  in  the  wreck- 


220  GALVESTON  ACCOUNT. 

age.  Many  who  escaped  were  in  the  water  for  hours, 
clinging  to  drift  wood,  and  were  landed,  bruised  and  bat- 
tered and  torn,  on  the  mainland.  Others  were  picked  up 
at  sea. 

"And  all  during  the  terrible  storm  acts  of  the  greatest 
heroism  were  performed.  Hundreds  and  hundreds  of 
brave  men,  as  brave  as  the  world  ever  knew,  buffeted  with 
the  waves  and  rescued  hundreds  and  hundreds  of  their 
fellow  men.  Hundreds  of  them  went  to  their  death — the 
death  that  they  knew  they  must  inevitably  meet  in  their 
efforts;  hundreds  of  them  perished  after  saving  others — 
heroes,  martyrs,  men  who  exemplified  that  supreme  degree 
of  love  of  which  the  Master  spoke : 

"  'Greater  love  hath  no  man  than  this,  that  he  lay  down 
his  life  for  his  friend.' 

"Many  of  the  men  who  laid  down  their  lives  in  this 
storm  did  so  in  efforts  to  save  their  families,  many  to  save 
friends,  many  more  to  save  people  of  whom  they  had  never 
heard ;  they  simply  knew  that  human  beings  were  in  dan- 
ger, and  they  counted  their  own  lives  as  naught. 

"It  is  the  irony  of  fate  that  many  of  those  who  left 
their  own  homes  to  seek  seeming  safety  in  other  buildings 
perished  beneath  ruins  or  in  the  water,  while  their  own 
homes  remained  standing.  Scores  and  scores  of  people 
took  refuge  in  the  homes  that  had  been  deserted  by  their 
owners  and  were  lost.  Some  who  remained  in  seemingly 
insecure  buildings,  in  structures  long  since  deemed  un- 
safe, escaped  unhurt. 

"As  the  great  danger  of  the  storm  was  not  realized  in 
advance,  neither  was  it  realized  by  many  even  during  its 
progress.  Many  slept  while  it  was  intense.  And  even  the 
horror  and  extent  of  the  storm  was  not  realized  when  it 


GALVE8TON  ACCOUNT.  221 

had  passed.  As  the  days  grow  on  the  awfulness  of  the 
catastrophe  is  being  ascertained  and  appreciated." 

The  heroism  of  sacrifice  is  portrayed  in  this  paragraph 
from  the  Galveston  News  of  September  21 : 

"The  News  can  not  commend  too  highly  the  work  done 
by  the  army  of  volunteer  laborers  since  the  hurricane  of 
September  8.  The  great  catastrophe  through  which  Gal- 
veston is  passing  has  brought  out  the  fact  more  strongly 
than  it  has  perhaps  ever  been  demonstrated  in  any  com- 
munity that  there  is  more  good  in  man  than  evil.  The 
world  is  not  half  so  bad  as  pessimists  try  to  make  out.  It 
is  safe  to  say  that  fully  half,  perhaps  two-thirds,  of  the 
lives  lost  at  Galveston  were  lost  in  the  determination  to 
save  others.  Strong  men  and  strong  women  refused  to  flee 
and  leave  more  helpless  members  of  their  families  to  die. 
They  made  up  their  minds  to  save  the  weaker  ones  or  per- 
ish with  them,  and  alas !  in  many  cases  it  was  perish  with 
them.  As  soon  as  Galveston  realized  the  herculean  task 
before  her  in  burying  the  dead,  it  was  hardly  necessary  to 
call  for  volunteers.  It  was  a  rare  exception  to  see  an  able- 
bodied  man  loafing  about  the  streets.  During  the  trying 
period  which  has  followed  the  hurricane,  nearly  every 
man,  black  and  white,  who  has  been  able  to  do  a  good  day's 
work  has  been  at  work,  and  there  have  been  few  cases 
where  it  was  necessary  to  impress  these  men  into  service. 
Galveston's  awful  catastrophe  has  demonstrated  to  the 
world  the  manhood  of  her  splendid  citizenship.  In  making 
this  notice  it  is  particularly  cheering  to  be  able  to  say  that 
these  words,  in  a  general  way,  apply  to  the  black  man  as 
well  as  the  white.  On  the  night  of  the  storm  many  and 
many  a  black  man  risked  his  own  life  to  save  the  lives  of 
white  people.  In  this  perilous  work  the  black  man  was 


222  GALVESTON  ACCOUNT. 

better  equipped  than  many  white  men  because  in  the  ma- 
jority of  cases  he  is  in  better  physical  condition  and  is  more 
of  an  athlete.  The  News  has  heard  of  a  great  many  cases 
where  white  people  owe  their  lives  to  negroes  and  the  News 
has  heard  of  few  cases  where  the  negroes  have  gone  about 
the  streets  boasting  of  the  acts  of  heroism  they  have  per- 
formed. The  days  following  the  hurricane  would  have 
been  black  indeed  but  for  the  ray  of  light  shed  by  the  army 
of  volunteer  laborers  which  went  to  work  with  heart  and 
soul  to  bury  the  dead  and  open  some  of  the  streets  so  that 
communication  could  be  had  with  different  parts  of  the 
city.  Now  that  the  balance  of  this  gigantic  task  is  about 
to  be  turned  over  to  others  under  contract  the  News  can 
not  refrain  from  this  meed  of  praise  to  the  volunteer 
laborer. 

"Shall  Galveston  be  rebuilt  larger  and  better  than  ever  ? 
Ask  the  miners  of  the  West,  ask  the  harvesters  of  Kansas 
and  our  own  Panhandle.  Ask  all  the  country  pouring  into 
Galveston' s  lap  its  export  wealth  and  see  what  the  answer 
be.  'As  long  as  a  necessity  exists  for  your  city  from  a 
commercial  point  of  view  it  must  be  rebuilt  and  continue 
to  grow/  As  well  may  Canute  of  old  beat  back  the  waves 
as  that  any  Canute  of  modern  times  say  that  the  tide  of 
commerce  will  be  rolled  back  and  held  in  abeyance  by  the 
winds  or  waves  of  an  occasional  storm.  When  there  is  no 
longer  a  need  for  a  local  mining  town  it  soon  ceases  to  exist. 
Should  we  abandon  Galveston  to  her  fate  and  turn  our 
backs  on  her;  other  and  worthier  men  would  come  here, 
making  it  their  domicile  and  carry  out  the  work  we  shortly 
must  begin.  But  what  of  the  building?  When  the  He- 
brews of  old  began  to  rebuild  their  beloved  Jerusalem  they 
carried  the  sword  in  one  hand.  So  must  we,  not  literally 


CRAWFORD   STREET   INUNDATED   AND    BLOCKED   WITH    POLES. 


GALVESTON  ACCOUNT.  225 

as  now  under  martial  law,  but  figuratively.  When  Cap- 
tain James  B.  Eads  said  we  must  raise  Galveston  island 
eight  feet  and  build  a  sea  wall,  spoke  he  more  wisely  than 
we  know.  I  see  our  congressman  proposes  to  call  the  at- 
tention of  congress  to  it  and  estimates  that  it  will  cost  in 
the  neighborhood  of  a  million  dollars  for  a  sea  wall.  Pos- 
sibly ten  millions  would  be  closer  to  it.  But  why  count  the 
cost  ?  Is  there  any  man  in  this  city,  in  our  broad  state, 
or  in  the  entire  Union  who  questions  that  if  built  before 
this  flood  it  would  have  been  a  grand  undertaking  and  a 
judicious  investment  of  money  on  the  part  of  our  national 
government  ?  Saying  that  the  5,000  lives  lost  were  viewed 
only  as  value  producers,  would  it  not  have  been  great  econ- 
omy ?" 


CHAPTEK  XIV. 

THE  FIRST  STEPS  OF  RECONSTBUCTION. 

Galveston,  when  her  great  trial  came,  when  she  was 
wrecked  and  at  sea,  cut  off  from  the  world  and  over- 
whelmed, thousands  of  her  people  killed,  all  her  property 
damaged  except  the  harbor,  which  was  deepened,  and  the 
survivors  walked  amid  indescribable  horrors  as  if  in  fever 
dreams,  and  beheld  infernos  such  as  Dante  never  imagined 
or  Dore  painted,  was  fortunate  in  the  possession  of  an. 
energetic  press,  and  her  newspapers  were  of  the  first  of  her 
interests  to  show  the  inspiration  of  reconstruction.  Col. 
II.  H.  Belo,  publisher  of  the  Galveston  News,  said  that 
Galveston  will  be  rebuilt  at  once,  and  that  the  new  build- 
ings will  be  stronger  than  those  which  were  swept  away 
by  the  disaster.  Colonel  Belo  was  not  in  Galveston  at  the 
time,  but  he  has  been  in  daily  communication  with  his 
business  associates  ever  since  the  calamity. 

"The  storm  and  flood  taught  us  a  number  of  signifi- 
cant things,"  said  Colonel  Belo  in  an  interview.  "It  has 
demonstrated  rather  clearly  that  the  loss  of  life  would 
have  been  comparatively  light  if  the  buildings  had 
been  of  a  more  solid  character.  I  don't  mean  to  inti- 
mate that  there  would  have  been  no  loss  of  life  and  no 
property  damage.  There  was  no  escape  from  great  dam- 
age. There  was  no  escape  from  great  loss  of  life  and  prop- 
erty, but  we  should  have  suffered  less  if  the  buildings  had 
been  more  substantially  built.  The  Ursuline  convent  was 
surrounded  by  a  brick  wall,  for  instance — a  light  brick 
fence,  and  there  was  no  loss  of  life  there,  although  it  stood 

226 


RECONSTRUCTION.  227 

right  in  the  path  of  the  flood  and  storm.  Light  as  the 
wall  was,  it  served  to  protect  the  buildings.  There  were 
no  lives  lost  in  the  News  office,  and  we  should  not  have 
been  badly  flooded  had  it  not  been  for  a  building  falling 
against  our  office  and  battering  in  a  part  of  our  wall. 

"I  think,  too,  that  the  streets  along  the  water  front  will 
be  built  higher  than  they  were.  The  city  must  needs  be 
rebuilt.  It  is  the  only  outlet  worthy  the  name  on  the  gulf 
west  of  New  Orleans.  The  government  spent  six  million 
dollars  to  make  a  3  0-foot  harbor  there  and  the  shippingis  so 
extensive  that  rebuilding  the  wrecked  portions  of  the  city 
is  imperative." 

This  is  an  expression  worthy  to  be  remembered  with  the 
brave  words  of  Medill  of  the  Chicago  Tribune,  when  he 
struck  the  key-note  that  Chicago  should  rise  again. 

The  following  telegram  was  sent  out  September  20,  by 
P.  H.  Goodwin,  general  freight  agent  of  the  Gulf,  Colo- 
rado &  Santa  Fe: 

"I  am  issuing  instructions  to  all  our  agents  that  the 
Santa  Fe  will  be  open  for  Galveston  business  on  the  21st, 
at  which  time  our  bridge  over  the  bay  will  be  completed. 
All  roads  have  been  combined  for  work  on  the  Santa  Fe 
bridge  and  the  officials  express  the  utmost  confidence  that 
the  Santa  Fe,  the  International  &  Great  Northern,  the 
Southern  Pacific  and  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  will 
be  able  to  handle  freight  and  passengers  in  and  out.  The 
relief  supplies  are  carried  in  by  barges  and  the  special  ship- 
ments from  Texas  and  other  towns  have  gone  in  that  way. 
The  Southern  Pacific  has  called  from  its  extension  all  the 
men  working  there,  at  North  Texas,  and  has  put  them  to 
work  on  the  line  between  Beaumont  and  Sabine  to  get  it 
in  working  order  and  open  that  port." 


228  RECONSTRUCTION. 

Official  reports  from  interior  towns,  a  few  days  after 
the  disaster,  told  of  extensive  desolation. 

Alvin — In  the  town  of  Alvin  and  vicinity  there  are 
probably  six  houses  on  blocks  out  of  a  total  of  1,000. 
The  population  of  Alvin  now  to  be  fed  is  about  1,500; 
Manvel,  250;  Liverpool  and  Amsterdam,  250;  Chocolate 
and  Austin  Bayous,  Chigger  neighborhood,  Dickinson 
Bayou  East  and  outside,  or  the  surrounding  country,  about 
2,500,  making  a  total  of  5,000  persons,  under  the  super- 
vision of  the  Alvin  committee.  The  committee  has  a  suf- 
ficient amount  of  clothing.  They  have  received  a  cash  sub- 
scription of  about  $2,000  and  have  spent  $400.  Have 
received  two  cars  of  flour  from  Dallas,  one  car  of  meat 
from  Dallas,  one  car  of  mixed  goods  from  Tyler.  Along 
the  bay  shore  from  \7irginia  Point  to  Liverpool,  for  six 
or  eight  miles  from  the  bay  front,  there  are  many  thousand 
dead  cattle  that  should  be  immediately  cremated. 

Arcadia — In  the  town  there  are  300  destitute  persons 
and  those  in  the  immediate  vicinity  will  make  the  aggre- 
gate 500.  Provisions  supplied  sufficient  for  immediate 
needs  only. 

Hitchcock — In  this  town  and  immediate  vicinity  are 
more  than  500  people  destitute.  Of  about  300  houses  only 
about  ten  are  standing.  A, wave  of  salt  water  from  four  to 
ten  feet  in  depth  covered  this  section;  thirty-eight  lives- 
were  lost  and,  for  the  time  being,  it  is  feared  the  soil  has 
been  seriously  damaged  by  the  effect  of  the  salt  water. 
There  are  probably  10,000  dead  cattle  within  a  space  of  a 
few  miles  surrounding  the  town,  and  every  house  should  be 
supplied  for  at  least  ten  days  with  disinfectants.  Fever 
is  now  setting  in.  An  idea  of  the  velocity  of  the  wind  and 
wave  of  salt  water  that  swept  over  this  immediate  seetion 


RECONSTRUCTION.  229 

may  be  imagined  when  it  is  known  that  the  Texas  City 
dredge  boat  is  now  lying  high  and  dry  in  a  garden  at  this 
place,  a  distance  of  eight  miles  or  more  from  its  moorings. 

Alta  Loma — This  committee  reports  about  seventy-five 
families,  or  300  persons,  to  be  cared  for.  People  have  no 
money  and  their  property  is  destroyed.  In  the  neighbor- 
hood 100  houses  existed,  forty  of  which  were  destroyed. 
There  are  about  four  houses  now  on  blocks.  Two  lives 
were  lost.  The  population  is  mainly  of  Northerners.  A 
shipment  was  made  them  of  provisions  and  medicine,  but 
other  things  are  needed. 

September  17.  Up  and  down  the  International  and 
Great  Northern,  the  Missouri,  Kansas  and  Texas,  the 
Santa  Fe,  and  their  connections  the  wires  are  carrying  the 
official  information  that  Galveston  will  be  a  terminal,  a 
sure  enough  port,  as  soon  as  the  traffic  can  reach  here.  The 
welcome  official  announcement  was  in  these  terms :  "Issue 
bills  of  lading  to  Galveston  and  through  Galveston  to  other 
points."  The  Vice-Presidents  and  General-Managers  and 
general  agents  have  mastered  the  railroad  wreck,  they  have 
set  the  time  for  the  running  of  the  first  train  into  Galves- 
ton, and  that  time  is  Friday,  September  21.  By  that  date, 
according  to  the  engineers,  the  temporary  bridge  will  be 
ready  for  use. 

The  news  that  the  roads  had  declared  readiness  to  accept 
freight  for  Galveston  and  through  Galveston  was  circu- 
lated late  this  evening,  and  was  received  by  business  men 
as  tidings  of  great  joy.  It  added  greatly  to  the  improve- 
ment of  spirit.  For  several  days  after  the  storm  the 
prediction  was  that  no  trains  would  enter  Galveston  under 
thirty  days  and  that  the  time  might  be  sixty  days. 

Equally  exhilarating  with  the  action  of  the  railroad  men 


230  RECONSTRUCTION. 

was  the  action  to-night  by  Secretary  Bailey  of  tfo  Wharf 
company  that  exportation  of  wheat  would  be  resumed  to- 
morrow morning.  The  machinery  of  elevator  A  was 
started  up  and  was  successful.  This  afternoon  the  wharf 
was  cleared.  A  steamship  was  brought  under  the  spout 
and  loading  will  begin  early  in  the  morning.  James 
Stewart,  Mr.  Orthwein,  and  other  St.  Louis  grain  men  who 
are  here  believe  that  almost  the  entire  stock  of  wheat 
caught  here  by  the  storm  will  be  saved. 

The  work  of  repairing  roofs  goes  ahead  steadily,  but 
rebuilding  has  not  begun.  In  this  evening's  paper  a  loan 
agency  advertises  that  it  has  money  to  loan  to  those  who 
will  rebuild.  The  agency  claims  to  have  $300,000  now 
and  that  it  will  increase  the  amount  to  $500,000  in  a  few 
days.  This  is  the  first  instance  since  the  flood  when  people 
not  already  holders  of  property  have  shown  a  willingness 
to  invest  anything  in  Galveston  in  real  estate. 

Clothing  has  been  coming  in  by  the  carload  every  day 
for  a  week,  but  there  are  still  people  in  Galveston  who  have 
hardly  enough  to  cover  their  nakedness.  There  are  hun- 
dreds of  children  who  have  not  had  enough  clothes  to  go 
out  on  the  street  since  the  storm.  At  the  central  relief 
station,  20th  street  and  Strand,  unfortunates  begin  to 
gather  early  in  the  day. 

September  18,  Governor  Sayers,  speaking  of  the  Gal- 
veston situation,  said: 

"I  look  to  the  rebuilding  of  Galveston  to  be  well  under 
way  by  the  latter  part  of  this  week.  The  work  of  cleaning 
the  city  of  unhealthful  refuse  and  burying  the  dead  will 
have  been  completed  by  that  time,  and  all  the  available 
labor  in  the  city  can  be  applied  to  its  rebuilding. 

"If  the  laboring  people  of  Galveston  will  only  get  to 


RECONSTRUCTION.  231 

work  in  earnest,  prosperity  will  soon  again  smile  on  the 
city.  Arrangements  have  been  made  to  pay  all  laborers 
working  under  the  military  authorities  $1.50  and  rations 
for  every  day  they  have  worked  or  will  work.  An  ac- 
count has  been  kept  of  all  work  done  and  no  laborer  will 
lose  even  one  day's  pay. 

"The  money  and  food  contributions  coming  from  a 
generous  people  have  been  a  great  help  to  the  people  of 
Galveston.  Much  of  the  money  can  now  be  applied  to  the 
improvement  of  property  and  to  again  putting  on  foot 
the  city's  business  enterprises.  Five  dollars  a  day  is  being 
offered  to  the  mechanics  who  will  go  to  Galveston,  with  the 
assurance  from  reputable  physicians  that  there  is  not  ex- 
traordinary danger  of  sickness.  Before  many  days  a  new 
city  will  rise  on  the  storm-swept  ruins. 

"It  is  now  an  assured  fact  that  trains  will  be  running 
into  Galveston  this  week.  Colonel  L.  J.  Polk,  of  the  Santa 
Fe,  received  a  very  encouraging  message  from  the  head- 
quarters of  his  road,  declaring  confidence  in  Galveston, 
and  urging  the  business  community  to  push  forward  the 
work  of  reconstruction.  Colonel  Polk  said  in  an  inter- 
view: 

"The  railroad  interests  have  decided  to  combine  their 
forces  in  order  to  rebuild  as  quickly  as  possible  a  bridge 
from  Virginia  Point  to  Galveston.  A  large  number  of 
men  will  go  to  work  with  this  end  in  view.  You  may  say 
to  the  country  that  in  six  days  a  bridge  will  have  been 
built  and  trains  running  over  it.  I  have  had  a  consulta- 
tion with  the  wharf  interests  and  they  have  promised  us 
that  they  will  be  prepared  to  handle  ingoing  and  outgoing 
shipments  by  the  time  the  bridge  is  finished.  The  bridge 
we  shall  build  will  be  substantial,  but  of  temporary  char- 


232  RECONSTRUCTION. 

acter.  We  shall  subsequently  replace  it  with  a  more  en- 
during structure.  There  is  no  reason  why  Galveston  ought 
not  to  resume  normal  commercial  conditions  in  ten  days." 

Colonel  Prather,  president  of  the  Board  of  Regents  of 
the  Medical  College,  and  Colonel  Breckinridge,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Board,  are  among  the  recent  arrivals.  They 
found  the  building  of  the  institution  badly  shattered,  but 
on  their  return  it  was  announced  that  the  college  would 
be  immediately  reconstructed  by  private  beneficence  if 
the  State  was  unable  to  bear  the  cost. 

Five  days  after  the  flood  this  was  written : 

"The  sound  of  the  hammer  is  heard  everywhere.  Ama- 
teur carpenters  are  patching  and  strengthening  homes, 
which  in  the  better  spirit  that  prevails  they  now  hope  to 
save.  It  is  now  quite  possible  for  teams  to  travel  the 
streets  in  the  business  part  of  the  city  and  to  some  extent 
the  residence  section.  To  be  sure,  there  are  places  where 
passage  through  the  debris  has  been  cleared  only  enough 
to  let  one  vehicle  get  by  at  a  time.  But  the  condition  im- 
proves hourly. 

"Passing  along  Tremont  and  looking  up  and  down  the 
cross-streets,  one  sees  hundreds  of  wagons  and  carts  loaded 
high  with  the  fragments  of  building  material.  As  quickly 
as  the  refuse  can  be  taken  up  it  is  hauled  to  vacant  spaces 
and  added  to  the  bonfires,  which  burn  continuously. 

"Galveston  is  going  through  a  kind  of  purification  by 
fire.  One  of  the  strongest  impressions  that  are  gained  of 
the  work  of  restoration  is  from  the  sites  in  front  of  the 
stores.  Merchants  and  clerks  are  overhauling  stocks. 
Where  the  articles  are  such  that  it  can  be  done  they  are 
carried  out  in  front  of  the  stores  and  spread  in  the  sun 
to  dry.  Tons  of  dry  goods,  clothing,  hats  and  caps,  boots 


RECONSTRUCTION.  233 

and  <shoes  are  spread  in  the  streets  and  on  the  pavements, 
so  in  places  it  is  difficult  to  get  past.  In  these  stores  the 
watermark  on  the  walls  and  shelves  varies  from  waist  to 
shoulder  high.  Everything  below  these  levels  was  sat- 
urated. The  loss  of  stock  affected  by  water  is  great.  But 
the  disposition  of  the  storekeepers  to  make  the  best  of  it 
and  to  save  something,  even  if  badly  damaged,  is  cheering. 
The  men  who  have  taken  the  lead  in  this  crisis  are  full  of 
confidence.'' 

Eight  days  passed  without  rain  in  Galveston  after  the 
hurricane,  and  there  was  hardly  a  house  in  the  city  that 
had  a  sound  roof.  Cremation  of  the  dead  and  clearing 
of  the  streets  had  taxed  the  energies  of  the  people.  There 
had  not  yet  been  time  to  give  attention  to  roofs.  Such 
repairs  as  had  been  made  to  buildings  had  been  in  the  form 
of  straightening  and  strengthening  them  so  that  they 
might  not  fall  down.  Many,  while  still  standing,  are 
leaning  like  the  tower  of  Pisa,  or  are  partly  off  the  founda- 
tions. When  the  rain  poured  down  it  entered  the  houses, 
still  called  habitable,  and  drenched  the  contents  again. 

The  faces  of  the  people  showed  the  influence  of  the 
rain.  They  were  overspread  with  sadness.  The  hopeful- 
ness, which  had  been  lighting  up  their  features,  was  gone. 
But  it  was  only  an  hour  of  depression.  Then  the  shower, 
for  that  was  all  it  proved  to  be,  passed.  The  sun  came 
out.  All  Galveston  went  to  work  with  renewed  energy. 
Three  or  four  horse  cars  made  their  appearance,  and, 
drawn  by  mules,  were  operated  over  several  streets.  At 
the  wharves  there  was  activity.  The  loading  of  wheat  for 
export  was  commenced. 

Cremation  and  cleaning  went  on.      The  finding  and 


234  RECONSTRUCTION. 

burning  of  over  100  bodies  in  a  day  shows  that  the  end  of 
this  duty  is  not  yet  in  sight. 

In  the  southern  and  southwestern  parts  of  the  city,  the 
great  windrow  of  wreckage  still  stood,  concealing  from 
sight,  but  not  from  smell,  what  was  underneath. 

An  order  of  the  military  government,  directed  against 
idle  negro  women,  went  into  operation  the  18th.  E"egro 
men  had  been  working  —  most  of  them  voluntarily,  the 
others  by  impressment  —  ever  since  the  storm.  Many 
negro  women  had  also  been  industrious.  But  it  came  to 
the  knowledge  of  the  authorities  that  a  certain  element 
was  depending  on  relief  supplies  and  was  refusing  to  do 
laundry  work,  or  house  cleaning,  or  anything  else  for  fair 
wages.  These  women  had  been  standing  about  the  doors 
of  the  ward  relief  stations  all  day  long,  with  baskets.  The 
order  which  was  put  into  effect  was  as  follows  : 


TO  IDLEKS. 

aln  view  of  the  fact  that  a  number  of  idle  women  are 
wandering  about  the  streets  and  refusing  to  work,  it  has 
been  decided  by  the  central  relief  committee  to  establish 
a  camp,  in  which  these  women  will  be  held  and  kept  off 
the  streets  and  out  of  the  way  of  those  who  are  performing 
the  herculean  task  of  cleaning  this  city  and  burying  the 
dead.  Warning  is  hereby  given  that  all  these  idlers  will 
be  required  to  stay  at  their  homes  or  be  taken  to  camp. 

"This  order  is  not  to  be  construed  as  aimed  at  females 
who  are  transacting  business  in  the  city,  but  is  designed 
to  correct  the  evil  brought  about  by  the  vicious  and  idle 
class." 

On  the  eighth  day  after  the  storm  this  message  came 
from  the  stricken  city: 


RECONSTRUCTION.  J35 

"The  tents  have  come,  and,  with  board  floors  and  fences 
separating  them,  now  make  a  white  city  on  the  beach  front 
where  the  houses  were  swept  away.  They  will  be  much 
safer  and  healthier  than  many  of  the  shattered  buildings 
whi*h  are  yet  occupied  by  the  poorer  classes.  There  have 
been,  until  now,  some  people  finding  shelter  in  the  wooden 
cisterns  which  the  wind  blew  off  their  foundations  and  left 
lying  about  the  streets  and  parks.  Others  are  in  houses 
without  roofs  and  windows,  and  still  others  are  in  build- 
ings the  walls  of  which  are  far  from  perpendicular." 

It  is  a  fact  of  much  interest  that  while  the  storm  re- 
duced the  grades  of  the  streets  two  feet  to  a  great  extent, 
the  harbor  was  deepened  about  as  much.  A  Galveston 
business  man  said : 

"We  have  the  grandest  harbor  here.  Why,  our  channel, 
instead  of  being  filled  by  the  storm  carrying  sand  into 
it,  was  scoured  two  feet  deeper  than  it  was  before.  We 
had  then  twenty-eight  to  twenty-nine  feet  of  water.  We 
have  now  thirty  feet  for  the  first  time  in  the  port's  history. 

"Talk  about  Galveston  giving  up,"  continued  Mr.  Rob- 
inson; "this  great  wharf  property  is  worth  $18,000,000. 
It  sustained  a  loss  of  less  than  $500,000.  The  company 
has  1,000  men  at  work  on  the  repairs.  I  stared  eternity 
in  the  face  on  Saturday  night  and  was  ready  to  go.  To- 
day I  have  more  energy  and  ambition  than  I  ever  had." 

J.  S.  Mize,  of  a  St.  Louis  grain  exporting  house,  has 
been  here  several  days,  having  come  with  special  reference 
to  his  stock  of  wheat,  which  was  at  first  supposed  to  be 
lost.  He  confirmed  from  his  own  investigation  the  state- 
ment of  Mr.  Robinson  that  with  continued  good  weather 
the  wheat  would  be  saved. 


236  RECONSTRUCTION. 

"We  are  open  and  doing  business  as  usual.  Our  com- 
press will  be  in  operation  within  a  week/'  he  said. 

It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  the  same  hopefulness  was 
manifested  on  the  part  of  the  Galveston  business  men  as 
was  shown  by  those  who  suffered  from  the  terrible  fire 
in  Chicago. 

It  was  on  the  third  day  after  the  Chicago  fire  had 
failed  that  the  people  in  general  recovered  from  their 
paralysis,  and  General  Sheridan  took  the  superintendence 
of  the  city  for  the  preservation  of  order  under  his  own 
charge.  He  had  already  dispatched  orders  for  the  im- 
mediate transfer  to  Chicago  of  a  regiment  of  soldiers  from 
Omaha,  and  these  arrived  on  that  day  with  arms,  equip- 
ments and  tents.  Soon  the  civil  authorities  resumed  their 
functions. 

A  writer  in  18Y2  said  in  a  calm  survey  of  the  wonders 
wrought  after  the  desolation : 

aThe  entire  history  of  the  world  contains  no  record, 
that  we  remember  or  know  of,  of  such  a  spontaneous  and 
general  uprising  of  a  great  people  in  a  work  of  sympathy 
or  charity,  as  that  which  immediately  followed  the  news 
of  this  grievous  and  appalling  disaster.  In  less  than 
twelve  hours  after  the  commencement  of  the  conflagration 
— long  before  it  had  ended — the  whole  country,  shocked 
and  excited  by  Chicago's  calamity,  was  alive  with  move- 
ments for  her  relief.  Money  without  limit,  and  food  and 
clothing  without  measure,  were  promptly  offered  and  sent, 
first  by  the  towns  and  cities  in  the  immediate  region  round 
about,  and  soon  afterward  by  every  town  and  city  and 
community — we  had  almost  said  every  individual  and 
corporation — throughout  the  land.  Words  of  inquiry  and 
sympathy  and  cheer  were  telegraphed  to  the  Chicago 


RECONSTRUCTION.  237 

city  authorities  and  to  well-known  residents  from  all  direc- 
tions by  men  who  were  anxious  to  help  us  in  the  terrible 
hour  of  need.  City  and  village  governments  appropriated 
hundreds,  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  from  their 
treasuries  for  the  relief  of  Chicago  sufferers.  Societies 
and  corporations  contributed  and  forwarded  liberal  con- 
tributions. Carloads  of  food,  clothing,  fuel  and  other 
needful  articles  were  sent  from  the  East,  the  South,  the 
West  and  the  North.  The  women  of  distant  towns  em- 
ployed their  busy  hands,  days  and  nights,  in  the  making 
up  of  clothing ;  and  in  various  ways  and  by  various  means, 
funds  and  other  contributions  were  raised  for  unfortu- 
nate Chicago.  And,  thanks  to  these  noble  acts  of  generous 
and  munificent  liberality,  Chicago's  unfortunates  were 
spared  from  having  the  still  more  grievous  calamity  of 
starvation  added  to  their  overwhelming  disaster." 

Goodspeed  says  the  citizens  of  Chicago,  whose  homes 
had  escaped,  "were  at  once  upon  their  feet,  offering  hos- 
pitality and  sympathy  to  the  sufferers,  to  their  own  dis- 
comfort, inconvenience  and  loss;  cheering  and  helping 
one  another  by  brave  words,  kindly  offices  and  lenient 
treatment,  insomuch  that  there  never  was  such  a  calamity 
accompanied  by  less  actual  suffering,  or  followed  by  such 
ample  relief.  The  immensity  of  the  loss  was  met  by 
prompt  and  efficient  assistance,  unexpected  and  unparal- 
leled in  history. 

"The  offers  of  pecuniary  aid  to  men  crippled  in  busi- 
ness were  on  the  largest  scale,  as  if  men  rose  to  the  height 
of  the  emergency  under  the  inspiration  of  the  Almighty. 
The  alabaster  box  was  full  of  costly  ointment,  and  when  it 
was  broken  upon  us,  the  fragrance  filled  the  world,  and 
will  perfume  the  age.  Its  sweetness  ought  to  possess  man- 


238  RECONSTRUCTION. 

kind  with  a  sense  of  brotherhood,  and  draw  them  into 
closer  fellowship." 

A  great  city,  the  center  of  a  prosperous  country,  com- 
mensurate with  it  in  greatness,  survives  fires,  floods  and 
plagues,  as  in  the  cases  of  London  and  New  York  and 
Chicago,  and  the  word  comes  clear  from  Galveston,  that 
the  seaport  city  of  the  South  on  the  Gulf,  like  the  great 
city  of  the  Great  Lakes  of  the  North,  shall  rise  again,  and 
rise  triumphant  and  glorious. 

The  News  had  a  bureau  of  information.  The  following 
is  a  part  of  one  day's  correspondence  (September  21)  : 

Galveston,  Tex.,  Sept.  20. — To  the  News:  Any  one 
knowing  anything  about  Mrs.  D.  Beaudion,  who  resided  at 
Twenty-eighth  and  Avenue  P,  will  kindly  favor  by  re- 
porting to  Masonic  Temple. 

Information  is  wanted  about  Lewis  Harris,  lost  in  the 
storm.  Please  address  M.  C.  Harris,  City. 

Lampasas,  Tex.,  Sept.  17. — Can  you  kindly  furnish  me 
information  of  my  relatives,  who,  I  am  afraid,  were  lost 
in  the  storm.  My  father  and  mother,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Joseph 
Linnett,  lived  a  mile  from  Clear  Creek  postomce.  My 
sisters,  Alderman  Schrieber  and  wife  and  eight  children, 
lived  on  Avenue  H  and  Eighth  street.  Mr.  Lewis  Cook, 
wife  and  seven  children,  lived  on  Sixth  street,  between 
H  and  I.  Mrs.  Jake  Childers. 

Any  one  knowing  the  fate  or  present  whereabouts  of 
Mrs.  Etta  Bartlett's  children  will  please  address  her  at 
Roswell,  N.  M.  If  either  Mr.  H.  T.  or  Lizzie  Steck,  who 
lived  at  1415  Avenue  M,  are  alive,  Mrs.  Bartlett  would 
like  to  hear  from  them. 


RECONSTRUCTION.  239 

Austin,  Tex.,  Sept.  15. — Will  you  kindly  inform  me 
whether  or  not  Mr.  Charles  Wegener  and  family  of  your 
city  are  still  alive  or  lost.  It  is  impossible  for  me  to  find 
out  from  other  people.  Mr.  Charles  Wegener  has  been  a 
carpenter  by  trade  and  was  living,  if  I  am  not  mistaken, 
west  of  the  depot.  H.  A.  Herzog. 

Jennings,  La.,  Sept.  17. — To  the  News :  Any  informa- 
tion regarding  the  whereabouts  or  probable  fate  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  B.  E.  Sukenbell,  who  lived  on  Avenue  O,  No.  1615, 
before  the  storm ;  also  John  Fredwell,  and  made  known  at 
511  Fifteenth  street,  or  at  or  between  Fourteenth  and  Fif- 
teenth streets  to  Fred  Plain,  will  be  very  much  appreciated 
by  an  anxious  friend.  The  last  I  heard  of  John  Fredwell 
he  had  gone  to  San  Antonio.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  B.  E.  Suken- 
bell are  a  sister  and  brother-in-law  of  mine. 

J.  C.  Bucklin. 

Pittsburg,  Kan.,  Sept.  17". — To  the  News :  I  have  writ- 
ten, also  sent  a  dispatch,  to  the  mayor  of  Galveston.  After 
three  days  the  reply  came,  "Not  reported  lost."  I  hardly 
know  what  to  infer.  I  would  come  and  investigate  for 
myself  but  means  forbid,  and  trust  to  the  people  of  your 
city  even  in  their  own  trouble  to  help  me.  My  son  was  33 
years  old,  something  over  six  feet  high,  was  well  propor- 
tioned, dark  hair,  dark  sandy  mustache,  blue  eyes;  was 
married  to  Mary  F.  Chittenden.  The  union  was  blessed 
with  three  sweet  little  girls,  Mary  Frances,  Katie  Beatrice, 
third,  only  two  months  old,  named  Jennie  Cecil.  I  give 
the  names  so  that  if  any  one  finds  the  little  ones  they  tell 
their  names  if  still  living.  He  was  a  member  of  the  'long- 


240  RECONSTRUCTION. 

shoremen's  union,  lived  at  3619  Postoffice  street;  name, 
Edward  P.  McG-owen.  Any  information  most  thankfully 
received  by  his  mother.  Jane  S.  Anshutz, 

802  East  Twenty-third  Street. 

Eureka,  Mo.,  Sept.  IT. — To  the  News:  Please  assist 
me  in  finding  information  about  my  relatives  in  Galveston, 
if  they  are  living  or  dead.  Names  are :  Mr.  John  Young, 
wife  and  two  daughters  and  one  son,  Mr.  T.  D.  Eichardson 
and  wife.  Address  was,  before  the  storm,  3324.  Avenue  L. 

Mrs.  F.  Byrne. 

New  Orleans,  La.,  Sept.  18. — To  the  News :  If  any  of 
my  people  of  the  Nolan,  Laf ranee  and  Hussey  families  are 
still  alive,  I  would  like  to  hear  from  them.  I  have  tried  to 
reach  them  by  mail  and  wire,  but  my  efforts  have  proven 
fruitless.  A  telegram  here  to  E.  O.  Zatarain  from  Mrs. 
Erank  Jones  stated  that  her  own  family  and  my^brother- 
in-law,  James  Lafrance,  were  saved,  but  that  my  mother 
and  brother,  John,  were  lost.  Eurther  I  have  been  unable 
to  learn.  James  Nolan, 

518  Natchez  Street. 

Robert  Quinn,  who  formerly  resided  in  Colorado  addi- 
tion, wishes  to  let  his  friends  know  that  he  is  at  Houston, 
in  the  St.  Joseph  infirmary.  He  expects  to  be  out  in  a 
couple  of  weeks. 

Los  Angeles,  Cal.,  gept.  16. — To  the  News :  Could  you 
give  us  any  information  or  any  advice  how  to  find  out  the 
whereabouts  of  the  family  of  O.  J.  Seibel,  consisting  of 
father,  mother  and  two  children,  Henry,  aged  18,  and 
Lesa,  aged  10  We  would  be  very  grateful  to  you  if  you 


RECONSTR  UCTION.  241 

would  please  let  us  know  as  soon  as  possible,  as  they  are 
dear  friends.    They  have  been  living  at  their  own  home  at 
2521  Avenue  Q,  between  Twenty-fifth  and  Twenty-sixth 
streets,  for  the  past  eighteen  years.       C.  C.  Kriewald, 
909  Avenue  37,  Los  Angeles,  Cal. 

Vernon,  Tex.,  Sept.  16. — To  the  News:  I  have  reasons 
to  believe  that  Mr.  John  Butterfield's  name  should  be 
added  to  the  death  list.  I  left  him  the  day  before  the  dis- 
aster in  your  city,  he  arranging  to  meet  me  the  day  after  at 
Forth  Worth.  He  represented  an  eastern  gents'  furnish- 
ing concern.  Have  not  been  able  to  hear  of  him  since. 

A.  M.  Phelps. 

Eochester,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  16.— To  the  News:  Will  you 
kindly  inquire  if  Harry  Jacobs,  employed  by  Ikelheimer's 
dry  goods  and  notion  house,  is  safe.  Mrs.  V.  Booth, 

15  Kent  Street. 

New  Orleans,  La.,  Sept.  17. — To  the  News :  Will  you 
kindly  give  me  information  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  Bro- 
cious  and  family.  They  resided  at  1809  Thirty-first  street. 
Mr.  Brocious  is  the  proprietor  of  the  Galveston  art,  glass 
and  mirror  works.  Also  his  partner,  Mr.  G.  L.  Enen.  By 
doing  so  you  will  oblige.  M.  Heidingsf elder, 

No.  2222  Cleveland  Avenue. 

Orange,  Tex.,  Sept.  18. — To  the  News:  Information 
wanted  of  Thomas  J.  Hawley  and  wife,  Nellie,  Gas  L. 
Turner,  all  of  K,  1118  and  11,  by 

Mrs.  Hammond  Starks. 

Beaumont,  Tex.,  Sept.  18.— To  the  News:  Would  like 
to  know  the  whereabouts  of  L.  C.  Ramakers  and  wife. 

T.  J.  Lamb. 


242  RECONSTRUCTION. 

Glidden,  Tex.,  Sept.  18.— To  the  News :  Are  Ben  Wil- 
son and  wife,  residing  at  Avenue  Q  and  Thirty-seventh, 

Mrs.  C.  M.  Cody. 

Glidden,  Tex.,  Sept.  18. — To  the  News :  Can  you  give 
me  any  information  about  Mrs.  Ella  Bridges  (colored)  ? 
Her  address,  Avenue  K,  between  Thirty-second  and  Thirty- 
third,  No.  3218.  Any  information  concerning  her  will  be 
thankfully  received.  Mrs.  Margaret  Hill. 

Wolfe  City,  Tex.,  Sept.  18.— To  the  News:  We  hap- 
pened to  get  one  of  your  papers  to-day,  and  I  saw  where,  if 
any  one  had  relatives  lost  in  the  awful  storm  there,  that 
you  would  help  them  find  them.  Now  I  had  a  sister  and 
her  four  sons  there.  Since  the  storm  we  can  not  hear 
from  them.  Have  written  and  telegraphed  and  done  all 
in  our  power,  but  can  not  hear  from  them.  Her  name  is 
Mrs.  Mary  E.  Edmonds,  Willie  Edmonds,  eldest  son ;  Lon- 
nie  Edmonds,  Lee  Edmonds  and  Freddie  Edmonds.  They 
lived  at  1923  Avenue  O-J.  In  heaven's  name  help  me 
find  some  trace  of  them  and  receive  my  grateful  thanks. 

Mrs.  Lou  Holton. 

New  Orleans,  La.,  Sept.  17. — To  the  News:  In  the 
published  list  of  the  storm  victims  I  find  the  name  of  Al- 
bert Ludwig,  printer.  I  have  a  son  of  this  name.  His 
whereabouts  are  unknown  to  me.  He  is  not  a  printer  by 
trade,  but  has  followed  several  trades.  He  is  26  years  of 
age,  fair  complexion,  well  built,  5  feet  8  inches,  and  good 
looking.  He  left  Cincinnati  about  January  this  year.  I 
hope  the  unlucky  man  is  not  my  son,  but  please  relieve  his 
anxious  family.  Chas.  Ludwig, 

2031  Magazine  Street. 


RECON8TR  UCTION.  243 

Acola  Farm,  near  Terry,  Miss.,  Sept.  16. — To  the  News : 
Please  inform  me,  if  you  know,  what  has  become  of  John 
Holt  and  Dennis  Atchison.  They  are  my  nephews.  Since 
reading  about  your  dreadful  storm,  I  would  like  to  know 
if  they  are  safe.  John  Holt  and  Atchison  were  engaged 
in  some  business  in  Galveston  the  last  I  heard  from  them. 

James  W.  Holt. 

Galveston,  Sept.  19. — To  the  News :  In  reply  to  inquiry 
as  to  myself  and  family  of  A.  R.  Miller,  Houston,  Tex., 
please  state  that  my  family  and  self,  as  well  as  all  relatives, 
are  among  the  saved  and  living.  A.  R.  Wolfram. 

Welcome,  Tex.— E.  W.  Gruss:  Rev.  J.  C.  Roehrn's 
people  are  all  safe,  same  address ;  also  Rev.  Engelke. 

Ernest  Titze. 

Galveston,  Sept.  19. — To  the  News:  Henry  Jackson, 
Colmesneil,  Tex. :  Mrs.  Jane  Jones  and  Pattie  Jones  are 
in  Dallas,  Tex.  Address  to  cotton  mills  of  Dallas,  Tex. 

Ernest  Titze. 

J.  Chancie  Kernole,  Bryan,  Tex. :  Boatright  family  all 
saved,  except  the  old  lady.  Brown  and  his  wife  safe; 
everything  lost. 

E.  A.  Lovell,  Apartado  413,  El  Oro,  Mexico,  wants  in- 
formation regarding  Mrs.  Wenona  M.  Nogle. 

Information  is  wanted  of  Meless  Garza,  student  at 
Smith's  business  college ;  Ben  Staskins,  railroad  workman ; 
Max  Wongeman,  lived  on  I,  between  Thirtieth  and  Thirty- 
first.  Leave  word  at  Geo.  Schneider  &  Co.,  Strand  and 
Tremont. 


244  RECONSTRUCTION. 

Winchester,  Tex.,  Sept.  18. — To  the  News:  Can  any 
one  give  me  any  information  as  to  the  whereabouts  of  Jas. 
A.  Dabney;  former  home  Thirty-second  and  Winnie 
streets  ?  W.  F.  Brieger. 

Lampasas,  Tex.,  Sept.  18. — Please  inform  me  of  the 
fate  of  Pete  Schreiber's  family,  as  I  do  not  see  their  names 
among  the  living  or  dead,  and  oblige,  yours  truly, 

L.  P..  Shaw. 

Pasadena,  Tex.,  Sept.  17. — To  the  News:  Can  you 
give  me  any  information  concerning  Rev.  W.  H.  Ohmstead, 
wife  and  daughter?  His  friends  here  have  tried  many 
means  to  hear  from  him  in  vain.  Mrs.  J.  J.  Otis. 

Galveston,  Sept.  19. — To  the  News :  Anyone  knowing 
anything  about  Mrs.  A.  C.  Hagman,  who  resided  at  1411 
Mechanic  street,  please  report  at  Masonic  Temple. 

Devine,  Tex.,  Sept.  19. — To  the  News:  Please  let  me 
know  if  the  following  persons  are  among  the  rescued :  Mrs. 
Maggie  Thompson,  widow  of  Chas.  E.  Thompson ;  Edward 
E.  Thompson,  son  of  above;  Geo.  W.  Grover  and  wife, 
Mrs.  Lulu  Pettibone,  Walter  Ansel  and  family,  Win. 
Schadt  and  family,  Jno.  M.  Neil,  Nora  Neil,  Wm.  Neil, 
children  of  late  Dennis  Neil.  Leslie  Thompson. 

Humbolt,  111.,  Sept.  17. — To  the  News :  I  have  a  sister, 
or  did  have  before  this  terrible  calamity  in  Galveston.  Her 
residence  was  1112  Ninth  street,  between  K  and  L;  her 
name,  Mrs.  Hannah  Huhn.  Was  the  property  all  de- 
stroyed in  that  part  of  the  city  ?  Can  you  tell  me  if  she  is 
dead  or  living  ?  Can  you  tell  me  anything  of  John  Her- 


TR  U  CTION.  245 


rington  and  family  \    He  was  a  contractor.    He  lived  at 
the  corner  of  Avenue  K  and  Seventh  street. 

Mrs.  Dollie  Terry. 

Columbia,  Tex.,  Sept.  18,  —  To  the  News:  I  have  a 
son,  Alonzo  McNeil,  colored,  residing  at  Galveston,  on 
Seventeenth,  between  N  and  NJ,  house  No.  1513.  I  am 
afraid  he  has  been  lost.  Please  advise  me  if  he  is  living  or 
dead  and  I  will  always  appreciate  your  kindness. 

Promise  McNeil. 

Mrs.  Geo.  Sealey  said  : 

"The  storm  has  been  terrible;  the  loss  of  life  and  the 
damage  to  property  great.  But  we  must  look  to  the  future 
and  all  pull  together.  The  entire  nation  has  generously 
responded  to  the  appeal  for  help,  and  Galveston  must  and 
will  prove  herself  worthy  the  sympathy  and  confidence  of 
the  people  of  this  country. 

"It  is  highly  improbable  that  such  another  storm  will 
strike  again  in  this  exact  spot  within  the  next  thousand 
years,  and  there  is  no  reason  why  we  should  not  go  ahead, 
rebuild  our  city  and  live  and  do  business  at  the  old  stand. 

"The  fact  that  many  of  our  buildings  withstood  the 
storm  and  came  out  without  injury  proves  that  we  can 
build  a  city  that  will  stand.  Much  of  the  loss  of  life  and 
property  was  due  to  improper  construction.  We  must  and 
will  build  better  houses. 

"The  wharves  are  not  much  damaged,  and  they  are  ready 
for  business.  They  will  be  restored  to  good  repair  just  as 
rapidly  as  it  is  possible  to  do  the  work.  In  a  month  from 
now  the  business  district  of  the  city  will  carry  no  evidences 
that  there  has  been  a  storm,  and  in  a  year  from  now  the 


246  RECONSTRUCTION. 

city  will  be  rebuilt  and  will  be  a  better  and  bigger  city  than 
before.'7 

The  construction  of  the  bridge  across  Galveston  bay  has 
been  a  marvel  of  hustling,  and  the  dispatch  with  which  it 
has  been  done  reflects  the  indomitable  energy,  good  judg- 
ment and  skill  of  the  men  who  had  it  in  charge.  The  work 
was  not  started  on  the  bridge  until  Thursday  of  last  week, 
because  the  material  could  not  be  gotten  to  the  place,  but 
when  it  was  started  Vice  President  Barr  and  General  Su- 
perintendent Nixon  said :  "We  will  run  trains  into  Gal- 
veston next  Thursday."  Not  many  people  expected  that 
they  could  make  good  the  promise,  and  almost  everybody 
said  they  would  be  satisfied  if  the  trains  came  within  a 
fortnight.  But  the  men  who  directed  the  work  said  that 
trains  would  cross  on  Thursday,  and  they  stuck  to  it. 

No  work  was  ever  beset  by  such  difficulties  as  the  work 
of  restoring  the  tracks  on  the  island  and  the  mainland  and 
the  building  of  the  bridge.  The  men  on  the  track  had  to 
bury  dead  humans  and  animals,  strewn  by  the  hundreds 
over  the  prairies.  They  toiled  in  mud  and  water  under  a 
blazing  sun.  They  had  to  remove  hundreds  of  wrecked 
cars  and  twisted  and  tangled  steel  rails.  They  worked  in 
the  stench  of  dead  flesh  and  the  horrible  odor  of  rotting 
grain  and  other  wreckage.  They  built  the  track  over  a 
wreck-strewn  prairie  torn  by  the  angry  sea.  It  was  diffi- 
cult to  get  supplies  to  them  and  difficult  also  to  get  ma- 
terial. 

The  men  who  rebuilt  the  bridge  worked  the  first  day 
without  dinner.  It  was  difficult  to  get  boats  light  enough 
in  draft  to  bring  provisions  or  materials  or  pile  drivers  to 
Virginia  Point.  When  the  boarding  camp  was  pitched  it 
stood  in  a  new-made  cemetery,  where  hundreds  of  victims 


RECONSTRUCTION.  247 

of  the  storm  lay  unidentified,  unshrouded  and  uncoflined. 

For  the  first  four  days  after  construction  was  com- 
menced, the  bridge  timbers  were  rafted  down  Highland 
bayou  and  West  bay,  a  distance  of  seven  miles,  to  Virginia 
Point.  When  the  track  on  the  mainland  had  been  restored 
to  Virginia  Point,  the  delivery  of  material  by  rail  began. 
The  storm  swept  away  most  of  the  pile  drivers  around  Gal- 
veston.  One  marine  driver  was  sent  out  and  put  to  work 
on  Sunday  closing  the  gaps  aggregating  about  1,000  feet 
of  trestlework,  where  the  piling  had  been  carried  away. 
The  next  day  another  marine  driver  was  sent  out,  and 
Assistant  Engineer  Boschke  of  the  Southern  Pacific  built 
two  skid  drivers  and  sent  them  out  to  the  work. 

When  a  reporter  for  the  News  was  at  the  island  end  of 
the  bridge  at  9  :30  o'clock  yesterday  morning  the  Santa  Fe 
track  to  the  island  had  just  been  completed.  The  steel- 
laying  gang  on  the  bridge  was  about  a  mile  from  shore, 
with  the  stringer  gangs  about  half  that  distance  away.  The 
caps  were  laid  up  all  the  way  to  the  shore.  The  Santa  Fe 
has  some  pretty  rough  tracks  for  a  short  distance  this  side 
of  the  bridge,  but  the  track  through  the  west  yards  is  in 
good  condition  and  in  fair  condition  the  rest  of  the  way  in. 

Advertisements  are  official  in  their  nature.  They  are 
written  for  personal  purposes,  and  are  wonderful  for  con- 
densation. We  select  a  few  from  the  Galveston  News  of 
September  21 : 

Wanted — Carpenters,  laborers,  tinners  and  bricklayers ; 
No.  26  Builders'  Exchange.  J.  E.  Toothaker. 

Wanted — Bricklayers  and  laborers;  will  pay  good 
wages.  Apply  Ed  Ringh,  Contractor,  4208  Broadway. 

Wanted — A  good  cook,  man  or  woman,  German  pre- 


248  RECONSTRUCTION. 

ferred.  A  steady  position  to  right  party.  Mrs.  J.  H. 
Kurth,  Keltys,  Tex. 

Wanted — Twenty-five  first-class  tinners,  cornice-makers 
and  slaters ;  good  wages.  Peightal  &  Booth.,  2916  Avenue 
H,  Galveston. 

Wanted — Young  men  to  learn  telegraphy  for  railroad 
positions;  situations  secured  or  money  refunded.  Dallas 
Telegraph  College,  Dallas,  Tex. 

If  you  want  to  sell  any  kind  of  damaged  goods,  ship  or 
write  Austin,  Spencer  &  Co.,  San  Angelo,  Tex.  We  can 
get  bigger  prices  than  any  house  in  Texas  and  can  sell  any- 
thing. Reference,  A.  J.  Baker,  hanker,  San  Angelo,  Tex. 

Wanted — A  reliable  white  woman  for  cooking  and 
housework.  Apply  at  2215  Avenue  L. 

Wanted — White  woman  to  do  general  housework  (flood 
sufferer  preferred).  Apply  at  "N.  E.  corner  Twenty-first 
and  Avenue  O. 

Found — Trunk,  September  9,  1900,  belonging  to  N.  G. 
Gullett.  Owner  can  have  by  applying  corner  Sixteenth 
and  Broadway.  Delia  Spann. 

Lost — Valuable  papers  in  desk  made  of  yellow  pine, 
rails  of  panels  Mexican  cedar.  Reward  if  returned  to 
Fred  Zickler,  Lott  Bros.,  K  and  Twenty-first. 

Lost  or  Strayed — One  large  black  mare  mule ;  also  one 
large  dark  brown  mare  mule ;  also  one  sorrel  mare  horse, 
with  white  tail  and  mane.  Finder  please  return  same  to 
Texas  Lamp  &  Oil  Co.  and  receive  reward. 

Lost — During  late  storm,  a  large  3-story  chicken  coop, 
made  of  iron  spokes  and  wood;  coop  shaped  half  circle. 
Finder  please  return  to  C.  D.  Holmes,  Market  street,  be- 
tween Twenty-fourth  and  Twenty-fifth. 

Lost — During  storm,  jewelry  of  my  mother,  marked 


RECONSTRUCTION.  249 

Jane  F.  Brown.  With  other  jewelry  was  in  possession  of 
Mrs.  M.  P.  Hennessy.  Suitable  reward  for  recovery  or  in- 
formation concerning  same.  Address  George  P.  Brown, 
Houston,  Tex. 

Anyone  finding  the  following  articles  will  be  rewarded 
by  returning  to  Mrs.  Joe  Aguilo,  care  S.  P.  Howland,  2615 
Main  street,  Houston :  A  large  tin  box  filled  with  silver, 
some  marked  T,  some  A,  some  L.  A.  T.  and  some  A.  and 
J.  A. ;  two  silver  cups,  one  marked  "Rodney,"  the  other 
"Joe,  1896" ;  also  a  small  trunk  containing  clothing,  three 
children's  banks  and  a  covered  silver  dish  with  some  pieces 
of  silver  in  it ;  also  other  silver  and  jewelry,  and  a  leather 
valise,  containing  one  change  of  gentleman's  clothing. 

If  Robert  M.  Johnston  or  Juanita  Dean  of  Dallas  are 
in  Galveston  please  call  at  the  Odd  Fellows'  relief  commit- 
tee, Tremont  hotel. 

V.  C.  Hart  of  2119  Avenue  K,  is  anxious  to  see  Mr.  Jeff 
McLeash,  the  painter  who  recently  contracted  to  paint  the 
chapel  car  "Good  Will." 

Wanted  for  Adoption — Send  names  of  any  children  or- 
phaned by  the  storm  and  who  are  for  adoption,  together 
with  present  residence,  age,  sex  and  other  description,  to 
Box  H,  care  News  office. 

Information  Wanted — Is  there  a  survivor  of  the  family 
of  H.  L.  Briggs,  who  lived  at  715  Mechanic  ?  Address  K. 
of  P.  relief  committee,  Galveston  or  Houston,  or  J.  Ernest 
Breda,  ISFatchitoches,  La. 

Mr.  C.  D.  Holmes,  Sr.,  who  had  the  misfortune  to  re- 
ceive a  severe  gash  in  his  leg  during  the  late  storm  and 
which  has  confined  him  since,  is  improving  rapidly  and  ex- 
pects to  be  up  and  out  again  within  a  few  days. 

Can  anyone  give  information  as  to  the  whereabouts  of 


250  RECONSTRUCTION. 

John  or  Frank  Jackowick  ?  They  were  sent  to  St.  Mary's 
orphan  asylum  in  1882,  ages  6  and  4  respectively.  Their 
sister  wants  to  find  them.  Notify  Steve  Dudjiack,  Ham- 
mond, Tex. 

Wanted — Information  as  to  what  disposition  was  made 
of  the  remains  of  Major  W.  T.  Levy's  three  children.  He 
resided  at  3614  Avenue  P  and  his  body  was  found  in  a 
northwesterly  direction  from  his  residence.  Any  grips, 
books,  papers  or  articles  belonging  to  this  family  would  be 
cheerfully  paid  for.  Please  notify  J.  H.  Hawley,  I.  &  G. 
!N~.  R.  R.  office,  corner  Tremont  and  Mechanic  streets. 

Information  wanted  concerning  the  following  children 
of  Jos.  B.  Aguilo :  Frances,  9  years,  tall  for  her  age,  slen- 
der, dark  hair,  blue-gray  eyes ;  wore  a  dark  blue  cashmere 
dress  with  three  very  large  buttons  across  front,  a  string  of 
blue  beads  and  an  agate  was  around  her  neck ;  also  a  rosary 
of  brown  beads  linked  with  silver,  to  which  was  attached  a 
black  wooden  crucifix  bound  with  silver ;  on  her  arm  she 
wore  a  gold  bracelet.  Baby  Joe,  aged  4  years,  large  for  his 
age ;  big,  dark  eyes,  lightish  hair  down  to  his  neck,  clipped 
across  forehead ;  wore  dark  knee  pants  with  buckles  at  the 
knee ;  shirt  with  a  pink  floriated  stripe  and  a  little  frieze 
reefer  overcoat  with  a  hood  sailor  coat.  Any  reliable  in- 
formation will  be  rewarded.  Address  S.  P.  Howland, 
Wells-Fargo  Express  Co.,  Houston,  Tex. 

CITY  PROPERTY. 

Notice  to  the  World — J.  R.  Davies  &  Co.  are  now  ready 
for  business.  We  are  cast  down  but  not  destroyed.  We 
have  lost  almost  everything  except  our  hope  and  courage. 
Galveston  must  and  shall  be  rebuilt— a  greater,  grander 


RECONSTRUCTION.  251 

and  more  glorious  city  than  the  old.  Push,  pluck  and  per- 
sistency will  do  it.  Our  precious  dead,  lost  in  the  "whelm- 
ing flood,"  are  safe ;  let  us  honor  their  memory  by  our  loy- 
alty to  the  living.  Now  for  business.  We  have  for  sale :  A 
six-room  raised  cottage,  full  lot,  stable,  south  front,  close 
in;  will  sacrifice  for  $1,600;  will  rent  for  $25  per  month; 
owner  going  away.  Eight-room  raised  cottage,  nearly  new, 
a  little  south  of  O  on  Tremont;  $5,000  before  the  flood, 
will  take  $2,500  now;  big  speculation.  Other  houses  and 
lots  almost  to  give  away.  J.  R.  Davies  &  Co.,  510  Tre- 
mont street. 

If  you  have  Galveston  city  property,  with  a  good  title, 
for  sale  very  cheap,  write  full  particulars  to  Box  4,  News 
office. 

Wanted — To  buy  for  cash,  Galveston  real  estate  at  a 
sacrifice.  State  price  and  description  of  property.  Ad- 
dress Box  19,  News. 

I  have  several  customers  who  want  to  buy  Galveston  Iocs 
and  pay  cash  for  same  if  offered  at  a  sacrifice.  John  A. 
Caplen,  211  Tremont  street. 

Thompson  Building — Two  well-lighted  offices,  northeast 
corner,  for  rent.  Rooms  in  flat.  Apply  F.  B.  French, 
Thompson  building. 

For  Rent — House,  six  rooms,  bath,  artesian  water ;  also 
large  south  room.  Apply  E.  D.  Hamner,  1902  Church 
street. 

For  Rent — To  responsible  parties,  high  raised  cottage, 
furnished,  $40.  Box  14,  News. 

For  Rent — Furnished  rooms  at  No.  1910  Avenue  H, 
next  to  court  house.  No  children. 

Furnished  rooms  for  light  housekeeping ;  also  rooms  for 
gentlemen.  2128  Winnie,  corner  Twenty-second. 


252  RECONSTRUCTION, 

For  Kent — For  gentlemen  only,  fine  furnished  rooms. 
Privilege  of  bathroom.  William  A.  Hogan,  1724  Postoffice. 

For  Kent — Furnished  south  front  room,  for  one  or  two 
gentlemen.  Mrs.  Kate  Cherry,  corner  Sixteenth  and 
Church  streets. 

To  gentlemen  only,  three  splendidly  furnished  rooms  in 
new  private  residence,  uninjured  by  storm;  all  modern 
conveniences;  references  exchanged.  Box  2,  News. 

W.  A.  Hawkins  is  filling  all  orders  as  usual  at  214  Tre- 
mont  street,  Galveston,  Tex. ;  also  has  a  branch  house  at 
Dallas,  Tex.,  where  wire  workers'  orders  for  shells  will 
have  our  prompt  attention. 

We  are  now  ready  to  take  care  of  all  electrical  work. 
Have  your  electrical  motors  overhauled  at  once.  Nichols, 
McGraw  &  Nichols,  Electricians,  2406  Market  street. 

Ice  Cream — You  can  buy  pretty  fair  ice  cream  in  lots 
of  places — really  good  ice  cream  in  very  few.  This  is  one 
of  the  really  good  places.  We  choose  our  materials  with 
the  utmost  care.  Nothing  can  be  too  good  for  our  ice 
cream.  Our  methods  are  the  best  known.  The  result  is 
pure,  delicious,  wholesome  cream.  Let  us  have  an  order 
from  you.  Kahn's,  phone  40. 

Wanted — A  man  with  from  $2,500  to  $5,000  cash  to 
take  an  interest  in  a  well  established  business,  nursery,  seed 
and  cut  flower  business.  C.,  box  173,  Fort  Worth,  Tex. 

For  Sale — The  Paul  Wheeler  dairy,  300  selected,  high- 
grade  cows,  cold  storage  (in  Galveston),  horses,  wagons 
and  bottles;  best  handling  outfit  in  America;  reason  for 
selling,  wreck  of  Gulf  and  Interstate  Railway  on  Bolivar 
peninsula.  Dairies  supplying  Galveston  (except  this) 
practically  all  lost  in  storm.  H.  C.  Wheeler,  113  Twen- 
tieth street. 


RECONSTRUCTION.  253 

R.  Ivey,  tlie  upholsterer,  and  family,  are  safe.  Will  be 
ready  for  business  in  a  few  days.  Upholstering  and  mat- 
tress work.  Send  orders  to  factory,  Twenty-first  and 
Avenue  M. 

Frank  H.  Jones  and  family  are  safe,  but  buildings  and 
factory  demolished  by  the  storm.  Will  rebuild  in  a  few 
days.  Send  orders  for  carpet  cleaning  and  mattress  work 
to  Thirty-third  and  M  One-half,  old  site,  after  Monday, 
the  24th. 

To  Our  Friends  and  Patrons — We  have  fortunately  sur- 
vived the  late  storm  and  flood.  We  are  ready  to  turn  our 
attention  to  business  with  a  large  stock  of  new  merchan- 
dise in  our  various  lines.  Orders  solicited.  Island  City 
Mfg.  Co.,  Galveston,  Tex. 

Storm-Tossed,  but  Survived — West  End  Laundry — 
Leave  orders  to  call  at  Morris  Block's  news  stand,  Tremont 
and  Postoffice  streets. 

Until  Tuesday,  September  25,  the  Galveston  Brewing 
Company  will  pay  25  cents  for  each  of  their  empty  kegs 
delivered  at  the  brewery. 

We  Are  Ready  to  Help  You  Rebuild  Galveston — Shin- 
gles and  lumber ;  no  advance  in  prices  at  'this  yard ;  Thir- 
tieth and  Mechanic  streets.  Darlington-Miller  Lumber 
Company. 

D.  M.  Wilson  &  Co.,  Thirty-fifth  and  N— Lumber.  We 
are  prepared  to  deliver  to  any  part  of  the  city,  with  no  in- 
crease in  prices. 

These  advertisements  mean  business,  and  are  an  infalli- 
ble indication  of  the  state  of  the  city  and  the  spirit  of  the 
people. 

It  was  an  event  September  17  at  Galveston  when  the 
regular  trips  of  steamers  between  Texas  City  and  Galves- 


254  BECONSTRUCTION. 

ton  were  resumed.  There  were  loads  of  travelers.  The 
News  said : 

"People  were  transferred  as  usual  by  the  steamer  Law- 
rence from  Pier  21  to  Texas  City  yesterday.  The  Lawrence 
on  the  9  o'clock  trip  was  loaded  down  to  the  full  capacity 
and  more  people  stood  about  on  the  wharf.  Chairman 
Henderson  of  the  Transportation  Committee,  assisted  by 
Captain  Warren  and  Captain  Clarke,  got  a  tug  and  a  barge 
around  to  the  wharf  and  he  told  the  people  that  there  had 
been  secured  a  fine  Pullman  palace  barge  for  those  who 
desired  to  go,  the  cabin  being  reserved  for  the  ladies.  The 
most  of  the  crowd  held  their  noses  up  in  the  air,  but  about 
fifty  took  advantage  of  the  offer  and  went  to  Texas  City 
on  her." 

Extraordinary  efforts  were  made  to  hasten  the  railroad 
communication  restoration,  connecting  Galveston  with  the 
rest  of  the  world.  The  Santa  Fe  system  concentrated 
nearly  all  its  best  bridge  and  track  men  on  the  work  of  re- 
storing communication  with  Galveston.  The  entire  system 
was  drawn  upon,  and  some  divisions  were  completely 
robbed  of  bridgemen  for  this  work. 

This  vivid  sketch  for  the  News  gives  an  idea  of  the  re- 
construction of  the  bridge  and  the  difficulties  to  overcome : 

"Mr.  Nixon  went  to  Virginia  Point  on  Thursday  morn- 
ing with  a  force  of  men  and  began  to  work  on  the  bridge, 
using  such  material  as  they  could  pick  up  there.  They 
were  without  any  provisions  that  day  and  worked  without 
their  dinners.  At  night  they  had  secured  some  bacon  and 
they  cooked  this  in  camp  fires  without  cooking  utensils  and 
ate  it  without  dishes,  getting  water  in  jars  they  had  picked 
up  on  their  way  to  the  point  from  the  Alta  Loma  supply 
pipe.  Friday  morning  they  breakfasted  in  the  same  way, 


RECONSTRUCTION.  255 

but  also  had  coffee,  a  supply  having  been  obtained  during 
the  night  from  the  track  builders'  camp  further  up  the 
line.  After  that  provisions  and  camp  facilities  began  to 
arrive,  and  yesterday  the  men  were  well  supplied  so  far 
as  food  is  concerned,  and  as  well  treated  otherwise  as  one 
could  expect  under  the  circumstances.  The  camp  is  pitched 
near  the  end  of  the  Santa  Fe  bridge.  There  are  newly 
made  graves  all  around — one  partly  within  the  commissary 
and  dining  tent  and  one  partly  within  the  general  office 
tent.  With  but  few  exceptions  the  men  were  going  about 
their  work  willingly,  with  evident  appreciation  of  its  im- 
portance, and  they  ate  their  meals  with  relish,  declaring 
that  the  soup  and  the  bacon,  the  stew  and  the  rice,  coffee, 
etc.,  were  ' mighty  good.' 

"Everything  was  push  and  hustle  around  the  camp  and 
at  the  various  places  where  the  work  was  going  on.  The 
officials  spent  little  time  in  the  office  tent,  where  an  operator 
received  and  sent  telegrams  over  a  bum  wire,  using  a  box 
relay,  and  where  stenographers  took  down  telegrams  and 
orders.  The  forces  are  well  organized  and  each  man  on 
the  work  is  being  used  to  advantage.  The  officials  direct- 
ing the  work  are  everywhere — out  in  skiffs  and  boats  and 
launches,  through  the  water,  climbing  bridges  and  hurry- 
ing along  the  trestles,  ascertaining  the  needs  here  and  there 
and  making  arrangements  to  supply  them." 

These  cheerful  words  were  in  the  News  of  the  17th: 
"Now  that  the  waterworks  are  running,  some  of  the  streets 
lighted,  many  of  the  streets  pretty  well  cleared  of  debris 
and  telegraph  communication  with  the  outside  world  re- 
established, the  people  of  Galveston  are  anxiously  looking 
forward  to  the  re-establishment  of  rail  communication. 
They  will  not  have  to  wait  long,  for  the  work  of  relaying 


256  RECONSTRUCTION. 

the  tracks  and  rebuilding  a  bridge  across  the  bay  is  being 
pushed  with  all  the  energy  that  devoted  men  are  capable 
of.  The  officials  in  charge  of  the  work  believe  that  they 
will  be  able  to  run  trains  into  the  Galveston  union  depot  on 
Thursday.  The  work  thus  far  done  has  been  truly  remark- 
able, and  has  been  accomplished  under  the  greatest  imag- 
inable difficulties.  It  was  the  first  steps  that  counted  most 
as  they  were  made  with  the  greatest  difficulty." 

September  18  over  1,000  wounds  were  dressed  at  the 
different  hospitals,  ward  dispensaries  and  other  medical 
relief  stations.  Most  of  these  wounds  were  slight,  and  not 
dangerous,  but  would  become  so  if  not  properly  dressed  and 
treated.  The  bulk  of  the  work  of  caring  for  the  sick  and 
injured  was  confined  to  the  dressing  of  small  wounds  re- 
ceived during  the  storm  and  minor  surgical  operations. 
There  were  very  few  cases  of  sickness  other  than  wounded ; 
in  fact,  sickness  not  resulting  from  wounds  was  very  scarce, 
and,  if  anything,  below  the  normal.  People  with  slight 
wounds  went  to  the  different  medical  relief  stations  and 
had  them  dressed  and  went  away,  and  did  not. come  back 
until  the  wounds  needed  redressing.  There  were,  however, 
several  hundred  patients  so  severely  wounded  as  to  need 
constant  treatment,  at  least  for  several  days.  Such  as  these 
were  kept  at  the  hospitals,  where  they  were  fed  with 
strength-giving  food,  and  carefully  nursed  until  able  to  be 
up  and  about. 

The  News  of  the  19th  was  enabled  to  say :  "Slowly  but 
surely  the  streets  are  assuming  a  decent  appearance,  and  in 
a  few  days  all  evidence  of  the  storm  on  the  streets  of  the 
business  district  will  have  been  removed.  A  large  force 
of  men  are  working  systematically,  and  the  beneficial  re- 
sult is  shown  in  every  quarter.  The  greatest  amount  of 


RECONSTRUCTION.  257 

wreckage  is  piled  high  along  the  beach  and  for  several 
blocks  inland,  where  hundreds  of  homes  fell  victims  to  the 
rush  of  waters  and  devastating  hurricane  that  swept  that 
portion  of  the  city  bare." 

The  telegram  shows  that  the  natural  resources  of  Texas 
are  not  called  for  in  vain : 

Corsicana,  Tex.,  Sept.  17. — One  hundred  farmers  held  a 
mass  meeting  to-day  and  sent  three  representatives  to 
South  Texas  to  get  cotton  pickers.  Negroes  here  have  re- 
fused to  work  for  less  than  $1,10  per  100  pounds,  whereas 
farmers  will  pay  only  70  cents.  The  demand  for  pickers 
is  so  great  that  farmers  have  bailed  prisoners  from  jail 
to  pick  cotton. 

A  question  much  discussed  in  Texas  is  whether  there 
were  two  cyclones.  A  scientific  writer  said  in  a  letter  to 
the  Galveston  News,  "that  the  late  cyclonic  hurricane 
started  at  Port  Eads,  but  that  it  was  first  heard  of  as 
being  off  Port  Eads  and  with  a  velocity  of  forty-eight  miles 
an  hour,  and  was  a  distinct  storm  from  the  one  that  the 
Comal  encountered  off  the  east  Florida  coast.  Dr.  Cline 
bears  me  out  in  this  theory,  but  says  the  bureau  had  warn- 
ing of  it  before  it  reached  Port  Eads  further  south.  He 
also  says  that  there  was  really  a  smaller  third  one  in  the 
wake  of  this  Galveston  special,  all,  as  it  were,  within  touch 
of  each  other  almost,  the  last  being  a  small  affair  and  ex- 
pending its  force  quickly." 

Perhaps  the  habit  of  cyclones  in  starting  out  in  pairs 
has  its  influence  in  causing  these  controversies.  The  same 
writer  here  quoted  says  of  the  sea  wall  question : 

"As  regards  a  sea  wall  being  practicable  there  arose  in 
the  writer's  mind  these  dangers.  If  one  could  be  con- 
structed that  would  keep  out  the  sea  the  extent  of  its 


258  RECONSTRUCTION. 

length,  the  waters  would  enter  at  its  extremities  and  back 
up  into  the  city.  Eut  it  would  break  the  force  of  the  waves 
in  their  battering  strokes  and  weight  against  buildings. 
Another  danger  would  depend  on  the  height  of  the  sea  and 
the  volume  of  waters  thrown  into  the  bay  and  on  the  main- 
land, and  whether  the  winds  might  veer  around  far  enough, 
say  to  the  northwest,  to  force  this  water  in  volume  back 
into  the  city,  where  this  wall  would  dam  it  up  and  perhaps 
cause  great  loss  of  life  from  drowning.  Yet  it  is  a  fact 
that  in  the  cyclone  of  1875,  as  to  which  the  writer  made 
careful  inquiry  at  the  time,  that  the  winds  shifted  no  fur- 
ther around  than  southeast,  which  was  the  exact  point  to 
which  it  shifted  in  this  storm,  and  from  which  point  in  an 
exceedingly  short  time  the  sea  rushed  into  the  city  and 
caused  our  greatest  destruction  and  loss  of  life.  The  pre- 
vailing and  longest  continued  direction  of  all  the  gulf 
cyclonic  disturbances  or  blows  is  from  the  northeast,  driv- 
ing a  great  volume  of  gulf  water  along  our  shores  here  in  a 
southwest  course,  but  I  never  apprehend  an  exceeding  deep 
sea  covering  the  island  from  the  northeast.  But  when  this 
high  sea  has  been  brought  about  and  a  sudden  and  rapid 
shifting  of  the  wind  to  the  southeast,  as  in  this  instance, 
forces  this  enormous  volume  of  water  bodily  upon  us  like  a 
tidal  wave,  we  have  this  combination  alluded  to  in  the  old 
article  of  "Wind  and  Wave,"  which  must  do  its  terrible 
work  of  destruction.  Seventy  miles  an  hour  will  not  bring 
this  result,  except  in  comparative  miniature,  as  in  1875 
and  1886,  but  100  becomes  seriously  alarming  and  will 
cause  great  loss,  while  120  has  in  this  instance  combined 
with  the  right  wind,  southeast,  and  Galveston  is  now  a 
prostrate  and  moaning  victim  of  that,  this  writer  has  long 
feared.  Can  engineering  skill  and  science  discover  and 


RECONSTRUCTION.  259 

apply  a  power  to  break  that  force  of  the  combination  of  the 
laws  of  nature  as  here  manifested  ? 

"I  do  not  believe  that  our  jetties  played  any  part  or  were 
at  all  a  factor  in  producing  the  great  wave  which  rolled 
over  this  city,  for  it  extended  much  further  down  the  island 
than  the  jetties  could  have  had  any  influence,  and  if  pos- 
sibly any  one  observed  it,  we  would  greatly  wish  to  know 
the  result  when  these  seas  struck  and  broke  against  our 
jetties,  for  from  this  may  possibly  be  drawn  important  con- 
clusions as  to  the  effects  on  breakwater  walls,  which  would 
be  the  same  as  a  jetty  in  protecting  the  city." 


CHAPTEK  XV. 

THE  NEW  GALVESTON. 

One  week  after  the  hurricane  spent  its  mightiest  energy; 
at  Galveston,  beating  down  strong  houses  with  sheer  force 
of  the  gale  which  blew  not  less  than  100  miles  an  hour, 
and  rolling  monstrous  waves  upon  the  streets  lined  with 
shattered  structures,  the  people  so  sorely  smitten  and  hor- 
ror haunted  experienced  a  renewal  of  hope  and  a  return 
of  energy,  felt  the  strong,  firm  hands  of  friendship 
stretched  forth  to  aid  in  the  work  of  restoration.  -The  dead 
were  removed,  the  wounded  were  succored,  the  hungry 
were  fed,  the  sick  were  nursed,  the  outbreak  of  ruffian 
robbery  and  stealthy  crime  was  suppressed,  and  there  was 
kindled  ambition  and  considered  enterprise  to  rise  up  and 
go  forward  from  the  foundation  of  the  knowledge  that  the 
worst  had  happened  and  that  Galveston  should  rise  again. 
The  building  of  houses  on  the  sand  is,  notwithstanding  the 
Scriptural  warning,  if  the  foundation  can  be  made  firm,  an 
excellent  thing  to  do,  for  there  is  a  purity  in  sand  that  has 
sanitary  results  most  desirable.  The  cities  that  are  built  on 
sand  are  more  wholesome  than  those  that  rest  on  rocks  or 
driven  piles.  Galveston  has  the  best  port  in  five  hundred 
miles  of  the  gulf  coast,  and  is  in  the  line  of  American 
development.  With  the  warning  her  people  have  had  they 
can  make  themselves  secure  and  resume  their  cause  with 
durable  betterments.  There  were  those  who  fled  from 
Chicago  when  she  passed  away  in  a  cloud  of  fire,  but  the 
winds  blow  here  as  ever.  The  level  lands  spread  out  around 
her  as  vast  and  as  fertile  as  when  the  prairies  were  un- 

261 


THE  NEW  GALVESTON.  261 

plowed,  and  the  winds  are  as  high,  but  there  has  been  care 
in  the  erection  of  solid  buildings,  and  to  prevent  modern 
cities  and  lumber  yards  from  being  joined  and  ready  with 
towns  of  undue  and  great  aggregations  of  resinous 
woods — ready  for  a  broken  lamp  to  cause  the  confla- 
gration in  the  loss  of  property  of  the  value  of  $200,000,- 
000 ;  but  the  water  marks  are  not  under  wooden  roofs  and 
there  are  gigantic  blocks,  each  with  the  population  and  the 
business  equal  to  a  stirring  town,  and  as  indestructible  as 
any  works  of  human  hands;  and  there  is  no  dwelling  in 
dread  of  fire  here,  rather  a  sense  of  security  that  as  the 
greatest  fire  the  world  has  seen  occurred  on  this  spot,  it 
will  not  happen  again.  The  business  men  of  Chicago  cele- 
brate the  anniversary  of  the  fire,  not  in  a  spirit  of  levity 
and  recklessness,  but  with  a  consciousness  that  the  scene  of 
a  prodigious  disaster  has  seen  a  victory  won  by  hope,  cour- 
age, perseverance,  enlightenment  and  an  unfaltering  spirit, 
and  with  this  there  is  reverent  thanksgiving  for  merciful 
preservation  for  the  blessings  that  abound,  the  grandeur 
accomplished,  the  glory  won ;  and  there  is  gratitude,  too, 
for  the  immense  humanity  there  was  in  the  generous  help 
extended  to  Chicago  when  she  was  desolate — a  helpful- 
ness that  aided  those  who  gave  and  enriched  the  givers — 
while  those  to  whom  hands  were  extended  that  Chicago 
might  stand  have  paid  their  obligations  as  only  the  debts  of 
gratitude  can  be  paid  by  squaring  the  account  of  benefi- 
cence by  benefactions  bestowed  where  misfortunes  befal. 
They  will  build  skyscrapers  in  Galvestoii  as  Chicago  has 
built  them,  on  foundations  that  will  stand  the  shock  of 
storms,  and  the  errors  of  construction  in  the  past,  already 
seen,  will  be  attuned.  A  feature  article  in  the  Chicago 
Tribune  says: 


262  THE  NEW  GALVE8TON. 

Galveston,  like  the  house  in  the  Bible  parable,  wa& 
built  upon  the  sand.  It  is  a  waste  in  consequence.  If  it 
is  rebuilt  it  is  likely  that  the  advice  of  Professor  Willis 
L.  Moore,  Chief  of  the  United  States  Weather  Bureau, 
will  be  followed,  and  a  surer,  stabler  foundation,  higher 
above  the  tide  level,  will  be  raised. 

According  to  Professor  Moore,  not  only  Galveston  was 
insecurely  built  upon  the  flat  sands  of  the  island,  but  other 
cities  on  the  gulf  and  Atlantic  coasts,  lying  at  tide,  are 
subject  to  the  same  dangers.  The  West  Indian  hurricane 
may  strike  almost  anywhere  from  the  southern  line  of 
North  Carolina,  on  down  the  coast,  around  the  peninsula 
of  Florida,  and  anywhere  within  the  great  arc  described 
by  the  western  shores  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  These 
storms,  perhaps  600  miles  wide,  have  a  vortex  of  twenty 
to  thirty  miles  in  diameter.  It  is  in  this  vortex  that  the 
land  is  laid  waste. 

It  is  this  fact  that  will  lead  more  strongly  than  any 
other  to  the  rebuilding  of  Galveston.  With  an  export 
business  of  $100,000,000  annually,  the  great  West  will 
bring  pressure  to  bear  upon  the  maintenance  of  the  port. 
There  is  an  island  type  of  man  in  its  population  that 
will  not  be  driven  from  that  little  ridge  of  sand  three  miles 
out  in  the  gulf.  There  are  1,500  miles  of  gulf  coast  on 
which  the  vortex  of  such  a  storm  may  waste  itself  without 
touching  Galveston,  and  both  conservatism  and  commer- 
cialism will  take  the  risk  that  a  score  of  other  cities  at  the 
tide  level  are  taking. 

At  the  same  time  there  are  those  who  see  for  Galveston 
only  a  commercial  existence.  It  never  can  grow  as  it  has 
grown ;  it  never  can  be  the  home  of  people  whose  fortunes 
are  not  tied  up  in  the  island. 


THE  NEW  GALVESTON.  263 

For  fourteen  years  the  city  has  had  to  contend  with  the 
fears  of  the  incomer.  The  growth  between  1890  and  1900 
shows  that  these  fears  had  been  allayed  in  great  measure, 
following  the  destruction  in  1886.  But  years  will  not 
wipe  out  the  black  record  of  the  last  week.  Hundreds  will 
leave  the  island  as  a  place  of  residence;  thousands  have 
been  killed  there  and  cremated  in  the  sands  or  buried  in 
the  treacherous  sea.  A  death  rate  of  200  in  a  population 
of  1,000  drove  Indianola  from  the  map  of  Texas.  Five 
thousand  or  more  deaths  of  the  35,000  population  of  Gal- 
veston  must  have  its  influence  upon  the  living. 

For  with  the  assurances  of  the  United  States  Weather 
Bureau,  it  is  recognized  that  in  natural  phenomena  there 
are  cycle  periods  in  which  extremes  are  repeated  from  na- 
ture's great  laboratory.  Observation  has  put  this  period 
of  repetition  at  twenty  years.  According  to  this,  in  the 
case  of  hurricanes,  the  range  of  maximum  and  minimum 
will  be  within  such  a  period.  Without  question  Galveston 
is  in  the  track  of  a  certain  abnormal  but  not  infrequent 
West  Indian  hurricane  which  fails  to  be  deflected  from  the 
Georgia  and  Florida  coasts.  It  keeps  to  its  northwestward 
course  and  strikes  the  Louisiana,  Texas,  or  Mexico  coasts, 
according  to  its  impulse.  In  the  Galveston  storm  a  new 
maximum  seems  to  have  been  established,  yet  its  repeti- 
tion may  be  looked  for  within  the  next  twenty-year  period. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  indeed,  the  average  period  between 
the  recurrence  of  these  maximum  storms  has  been  less 
than  fifteen  years. 

Lyman  E.  Cooley,  one  of  the  original  engineers  in 
marking  the  route  of  the  drainage  canal,  is  an  observer  of 
periodic  natural  phenomept,  and  his  theory  holds  in  great 


264  THE  NEW.  GALVESTON. 

measure  with  observations  of  the  United  States  weather 
service. 

"It  is  a  general  proposition,"  said  Mr.  Cooley.  "It 
means  just  this  much :  Suppose  that  Chicago  has  a  snow- 
storm on  June  15.  Within  a  twenty-year  period  we  may 
expect  another  phenomenon  of  the  kind  in  the  same  calen- 
dar month.  It  may  not  snow  in  Chicago  itself ;  the  storm 
may  be  ten,  twenty,  or  thirty  miles  away,  on  any  side  of  it. 
But  in  the  same  general  territory,  about  the  same  time  of 
the  phenomenon,  it  will  be  repeated. 

"Suppose  a  terrible  rain  or  windstorm  develops,  its  repe- 
tition may  be  looked  for  in  the  same  period.  So  with  ex- 
tremes of  temperature,  influences  on  lake  levels,  and  all 
the  other  phenomena  of  nature's  forces.  They  have  their 
cycles,  and  the  twenty-year  period  covers  most  of  them." 

But  in  the  case  of  Galveston,  one  of  its  great  hurricanes 
was  experienced  in  1875,  another  in  1886,  and  the  last 
only  fourteen  years  later.  These  historic  facts  tend  to 
confirm  Mr.  Cooley's  observations. 

Galveston's  destruction  and  that  of  other  towns  simi- 
larly situated  had  been  predicted.  Writing  in  the  Arena 
in  1890,  Professor  Joseph  Rodes  Buchanan  said: 

"Every  seaboard  city  south  of  New  England  that  is  not 
more  than  fifty  feet  above  the  sea  level  of  the  Atlantic  coast 
is  destined  to  a  destructive  convulsion.  Galveston,  New 
Orleans,  Mobile,  St.  Augustine,  Savannah,  and  Charleston 
are  doomed.  Richmond,  Baltimore,  Washington,  Phila- 
delphia, Newark,  Jersey  City,  and  "New  York  will  suffer 
in  various  degrees  in  proportion  as  they  approximate  the 
sea  level.  Brooklyn  will  suffer  less,  but  the  destruction 
at  New  York  and  Jersey  City  will  be  the  grandest  horror. 

"The  convulsion  will  probably  begin  on  the  Pacifio 


t 
THE  NEW  GALVESTON.  265 

coast,  and  perhaps  extend  in  the  Pacific  toward  the  Sand- 
wich Islands.  The  shock  will  be  terrible  with  great  loss 
of  life,  extending  from  British  Columbia  down  along  the 
coast  of  Mexico,  but  the  conformation  of  the  Pacific  coast 
will  make  its  grand  tidal  wave  far  less  destructive  than  on 
the  Atlantic  shore.  Nevertheless,  it  will  be  calamitous. 
Lower  California  will  suffer  severely  along  the  coast.  San 
Diego  and  Coronado  will  suffer  severely,  especially  the 
latter. 

"It  may  seem  rash  to  anticipate  the  limits  of  the  de- 
structive force  of  a  foreseen  earthquake,  but  there  is  no 
harm  in  testing  the  prophetic  power  of  science  in  the  com- 
plex relations  of  nature  and  man. 

"The  destruction  of  cities  which  I  anticipate  will  bo 
twenty-four  years  ahead — it  may  be  twenty-three.  It  will 
be  sudden  and  brief — all  within  an  hour  and  not  far  from 
noon.  Starting  from  the  Pacific  coast,  as  already  described, 
it  will  strike  southward — a  mighty  tidal  wave  and  earth- 
quake shock  that  will  develop  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and 
Caribbean  Sea.  It  will  strike  the  western  coast  of  Cuba 
and  severely  injure  Havana.  Our  sister  republic,  Vene- 
zuela, bound  to  us  in  destiny,  by  the  law  of  periodicity, 
will  be  assailed  by  the  encroaching  waves  and  terribly 
shaken  by  the  earthquake.  The  destruction  of  her  chief 
city,  Caracas,  will  be  greater  than  in  1812,  when  12,000 
were  said  to  be  destroyed.  The  coming  shock  will  be  near 
total  destruction." 

Galveston  Island,  with  a  stretch  of  thirty-five  miles, 
rises  only  five  feet  above  the  level  of  high  tide.  To  the 
south,  is  an  unbroken  sweep  of  sea  for  800  miles.  Twelve 
hundred  miles  away  is  the  nesting  place  of  storms — storms 
that  rise  out  of  the  dead  calm  of  the  doldrums  and  sweep 


266  THE  NEW  GALVESTON. 

northward,  sometimes  with  a  fury  that  nothing  can  with- 
stand. Most  of  these  storms  describe  a  parabola,  with  the 
westward  arch  touching  the  Atlantic  coast,  after  which  the 
track  is  northeastward,  finally  disappearing  with  the  storm 
itself  in  the  North  Atlantic. 

But  every  little  while  one  of  these  West  Indian  hurri- 
canes starts  northwestward  from  its  island  nest,  moving 
steadily  on  its  course  and  entering  the  gulf  itself. 

September  and  October  are  the  months  of  these  storms, 
and  of  the  two  months  September  is  worse.  In  the  ten 
years  between  1878  and  1887,  inclusive,  fifty-seven  hurri- 
canes arose  in  the  warm,  moist  conditions  of  the  West  In- 
dian doldrums.  Most  of  these  passed  out  to  sea  and  to  the 
St.  Lawrence  River  country,  where  they  disappeared.  But 
the  hurricane  of  Oct.  11,  1887,  came  ashore  at  New  Or- 
leans on  Oct.  17,  and  wrought  havoc  as  it  passed  up  the 
Eastern  States  to  New  Brunswick.  The  storm  of  Oct.  8, 
1886,  reached  Louisiana  on  the  12th,  curving  again  to- 
ward Galveston  on  the  Texas  coast.  It  was  in  this  storm 
that  Galveston  was  flooded,  with  loss  of  life  and  property, 
while  Indianola  was  destroyed  beyond  recovery. 

With  these  non-recurring  storms  two  conditions  favor 
their  passage  into  the  gulf.  A  high  barometric  area  lies 
over  the  Atlantic  coast  States,  while  a  trough  of  low  pres- 
sure leads  into  the  gulf  and  northward  into  the  region 
of  the  Dakotas.  The  hurricane  takes  the  path  of  least 
resistance  always,  and  it  must  pass  far  northward  before 
it  can  work  its  natural  way  around  the  tardy  high  area 
that  hangs  over  the  central  coast  States.  It  was  this  condi- 
tion exactly  which  diverted  the  recent  storm  to  Galveston 
and  the  Texas  coast. 

The  origin  of  a  hurricane  is  not  fully  settled.     Its  ac- 


THE  NEW  GALVE8TON.  267 

companying  phenomena,  however,  are  significant  to  even 
the  casual  observer.  A  long  swell  on  the  ocean  usually 
precedes  it.  This  swell  may  be  forced  to  great  distance  in 
advance  of  the  storm  and  be  observed  two  or  three  days 
before  the  storm  strikes.  A  faint  rise  in  the  barometer 
may  be  noticed  before  the  sharp  fall  follows.  Wisps  of 
thin,  cirrus  cloud  float  for  200  miles  around  the  storm 
center.  The  air  is  calm  and  sultry  until  a  gentle  breeze 
springs  from  the  southeast.  This  breeze  becomes  a  wind, 
a  gale,  and,  finally,  a  tempest. 

This  is  in  scientific  form,  but  made  fascinating  by  the 
brilliant  element  of  speculation. 

One  of  the  best  known  residents  of  Galveston  is  Eustace 
Taylor.  He  is  a  cotton  buyer,  known  to  the  trade  in  all 
parts  of  the  country.  In  the  course  of  an  ordinary  season 
Mr.  Taylor  handles  from  100,000  to  150,000  bales.  His 
act  on  Monday,  when  the  citizens  of  Galveston  were  begin- 
ning to  realize  the  full  import  of  the  disaster,  was  typical 
of  the  fine  spirit  shown  by  leading  men.  Mr.  Taylor  stood 
on  the  Strand  and  said : 

"Bring  to  me  any  man  who  needs  money  and  I  will  give 
him  until  I  go  broke." 

Mr.  Taylor  was  asked  to-day  for  an  opinion  as  to  the 
future  of  Galveston. 

"I  think,"  he  said,  "that  what  we  have  done  here  in  the 
four  days  which  have  passed  since  the  storm  has  been 
wonderful.  It  will  take  us  two  weeks  before  we  can  ascer- 
tain the  actual  commercial  loss.  But  we  are  going  to 
straighten  out  everything.  We  are  going  to  stay  here  and 
work  it  out.  We  will  have  a  temporary  wharf  in  thirty 
days,  and  witb  that  we  can  resume  business  and  handle 


268  THE  NEW  GALVESTON. 

the  traffic  through  Galveston.  I  think  that  within  thirty 
days  business  will  be  carried  on  here  in  large  volumes. 

"I  am  going  to  stand  right  up  to  Galveston,"  continued 
Mr.  Taylor,  "if  it  costs  me  the  last  cent.  With  our  tem- 
porary wharf  we  shall  put  from  1,000  to  2,000  men  to 
work  loading  vessels.  While  we  are  waiting  for  the  rail- 
road to  restore  bridges  and  terminals  on  the  island  we  shall 
bring  business  by  barges  from  Virginia  Point  and  load  in 
mid-stream.  In  this  way  we  shall  not  only  resume  our 
commercial  relations  quickly  but  we  shall  be  able  to  put 
the  labor  of  the  city  at  work." 

Mr.  Taylor  and  other  leading  business  men  of  Galves- 
ton emphasize  a  point  which  has  escaped  general  attention 
until  this  time.  They  are  exceedingly  anxious  that  com- 
mercial bodies,  steamship  owners,  brokers,  and  those  in- 
terested in  the  commerce  of  Galveston  shall  be  as  consider- 
ate as  possible  in  their  treatment  of  the  city,  that  is  to 
say,  there  shall  be  liberality  in  the  commercial  relations. 
These  men  urge  that  the  extent  of  the  calamity  shall  be 
taken  into  account  when  adjustment  of  contracts  takes 
place  and  in  all  business  relations  until  the  city  can  regain 
its  footing.  Charters  provide  by  special  mention  for  "Vis- 
itations of  providence,"  for  the  "Acts  of  God." 

The  Galveston  business  men  hope  that  their  business 
connections  will  apply  a  like  spirit  to  all  commerce  af- 
fected by  the  storm.  If  Galveston  can  receive  from  the 
world  such  consideration  financially  and  commercially  in 
the  next  sixty  days  the  recuperation  will  be  rapid  and  in- 
directly the  losses  will  be  minimized. 

Galveston  was  just  entering  upon  the  busy  season.  There 
are  now  from  200  to  300  ships  under  .sailing  contracts 
with  this  port  for  the  months  of  September,  November 


THE  NEW  GALVE8TON.  269 

and  December.  Some  of  these  ships  are  now  on  the  high 
seas.  Even  a  temporary  paralysis  of  thirty  days  will 
mean  much  loss  and  the  derangement  of  many  contracts. 

It  is  a  time  which  calls  for  the  generous  policy,  not 
for  strict  enforcements  of  the  letter  of  agreements.  Gal- 
veston  only  asks  what  her  business  men  feel  is  just,  thereby 
the  shock  to  commerce  may  be  mitigated. 

Like  suggestions  were  made  by  the  Chicago  business 
men  after  the  great  fire,  and  the  response  from  other  busi- 
ness centers  was  most  cordial  and  hearty ;  and  the  tone  of 
the  Chicago  community  in  making  the  suggestions  that  it 
would  be  the  form  of  assistance  they  would  like  best  to 
have  a  continuance  of  confidence  in  them  that  they  were 
going  on — and  in  the  city  that  it  would  rise  from  the 
ashes.  This  business  grasp  of  the  hand,  and  self-restraint 
and  high-toned  sense  of  power  did  much  to  give  Chicago 
the  general  judgment  of  the  business  men  of  the  world 
that  she  was  designed  for  great  fortunes,  and  even  a  mis- 
fortune of  appalling  magnitude  would  be  overcome  and  be 
the  inspiration  and  the  stability  of  a  greater  Chicago.  That 
which  Mr.  Taylor  of  Galveston  says  is  of  the  same  temper 
and  fiber,  and  will  meet  a  like  response. 

The  Dallas  News  and  the  Galveston  News  are  under  the 
same  management.  The  Dallas  News  of  September  14 
said : 

"As  an  exchange  says,  'The  elements  seem  to  have  been 
wreaking  vengeance  on  Texas  this  year.7  In  April  the  Col- 
orado and  Brazos  valleys  were  swept  by  floods,  entailing 
great  loss  of  life  and  property.  Austin  suffered  severely. 
This  flood  followed  a  more  disastrous  one  of  last  year, 
which  laid  waste  some  of  the  best  farms  in  the  State, 


270  TEE  NEW  GALVESTON. 

destroyed  crops  too  late  for  replanting,  drowned  thousands 
of  cattle,  horses,  mules  and  hogs,  and  many  people. 

"With  all  these  recent  disasters,  Texas  is  in  a  more  pros- 
perous condition  than  the  State  has  ever  been  in  before, 
taking  the  whole  country  over.  While  certain  of  the  river 
valleys  have  been  swept  by  flood,  the  rich  uplands,  partic- 
ularly those  of  North  Texas,  the  orchards  and  garden  lands 
of  East  Texas,  and  of  the  coast  country,  and  the  small 
grain  and  pasture  lands  of  the  west,  have  brought  forth 
abundant  crops,  and,  speaking  generally,  the  people  are 
in  a  good  way. 

"The  high  prices  for  wheat,  corn,  cotton,  and  other 
products  of  the  field  or  ranch  have  told  a  hopeful  story, 
and  a  wise  change  from  the  old-time  one-crop  habit  has 
done  much  to  help  along.  In  spite  of  the  disasters  of  this 
and  of  last  year,  barring  the  victims  of  the  floods  alluded 
to,  the  people  of  the  State  are  in  a  good  condition  and 
ready  to  do  all  in  their  power  to  help  along  their  less  fortu- 
nate fellow  citizens. 

"Texas  is  a  vast  State,  and  this  fact  might  make  it  ap- 
pear that  more  storms  or  other  direful  visitations  fell  to 
the  lot  of  this  people  than  residents  of  other  parts  of  the 
country  find  it  necessary  to  endure.  The  fact  is  that  many 
States  have  been  visited  by  floods  this  season,  and  in  some 
places  floods  are  feared  year  after  year.  So  it  is  of  other 
destructive  visitations.  They  must  be  expected  now  and 
then  anywhere  from  Maine  to  California,  or,  for  that  mat- 
ter, at  any  place  the  world  around.  There  is  only  one 
thing  to  do  about  it.  People  must  prepare  in  advance 
for  such  troubles  as  far  as  possible,  and  must  stand  ready 
to  take  the  consequences  and  make  the  best  of  them.  So 
it  is  now.  So  it  will  continue  to  be  here  and  elsewhere. 


THE  NEW  GALVESTON.  271 

"It  is  gratifying  to  note  that  even  thus  early  the  strong 
and  courageous  men  of  Galveston  have  begun  to  see  the 
matter  in  this  light.  Even  while  their  weaker  brothers 
are  still  dazed  and  speechless,  they  begin  to  cast  about 
them  with  a  show  of  old-time  determination  and  vigor. 
No  one  can  read  of  their  undaunted  determination  to  clear 
away  the  evidences  of  the  recent  disaster  and  to  restore 
the  island  city  without  a  feeling  of  genuine  admiration  for 
the  men  who  are  strong  enough  to  hope  when  others  are 
hopeless,  great  enough  to  begin  on  plans  for  the  future 
ere  the  roar  and  crash  of  the  storm  have  died  away." 

"Galveston  must  rise  again,"  says  the  Galveston  News 
in  an  editorial  Sept.  13. 

"At  the  first  meeting  of  Galveston  citizens  Sunday 
afternoon  after  the  great  hurricane,  for  the  purpose  of 
bringing  order  out  of  chaos,  the  only  sentiment  expressed/' 
the  editorial  says,  "was  that  Galveston  had  received  an  aw- 
ful blow.  The  loss  of  life  and  property  is  appalling — so 
great  that  it  required  several  days  to  form  anything  like 
a  correct  estimate.  With  sad  and  aching  hearts,  but  with 
resolute  faces,  the  sentiment  of  the  meeting  was  that  out 
of  the  awful  chaos  of  wrecked  homes  and  wrecked  busi- 
ness Galveston  must  rise  again. 

"The  sentiment  was  not  that  of  bury  the  dead  and  give 
up  the  ship ;  but,  rather,  bury  the  dead,  succor  the  needy, 
appeal  for  aid  from  a  charitable  world,  and  then  start  reso- 
lutely to  work  to  mend  the  broken  chains.  In  many  cases 
the  work  of  upbuilding  must  begin  over.  In  other  cases 
the  destruction  is  only  partial. 

"The  sentiment  was,  Galveston  will,  Galveston  must, 
survive,  and  fulfill  her  glorious  destiny.  Galveston  shall 
rise  again.  *  *  * 


272  THE  NEW  GALVESTON. 

"If  we  have  lost  all  else,  we  still  have  life  and  the 
future,  and  it  is  toward  the  future  that  we  must  devote 
the  energies  of  our  lives.  We  can  never  forget  what  we 
have  suffered;  we  cannot  forget  the  thousands  of  our 
friends  and  loved  ones  who  found  in  the  angry  billows 
that  destroyed  them  a  final  resting  place.  But  tears  and 
grief  must  not  make  us  forget  our  present  duties.  The 
blight  and  ruin  which  have  destroyed  Galveston  are  not 
beyond  repair ;  we  must  not  for  a  moment  think  Galveston 
is  to  be  abandoned  because  of  one  disaster,  however  hor- 
rible that  disaster  has  been. 

"It  is  a  time  for  courage  of  the  highest  order.  It  is 
a  time  when  men  and  women  show  the  stuff  that  is  in 
them,  and  we  can  make  no  loftier  acknowledgment  of  the 
material  sympathy  which  the  world  is  extending  to  us  than 
to  answer  back  that  after  we  shall  have  buried  our  dead, 
relieved  the  sufferings  of  the  sick  and  destitute,  we  will 
bravely  undertake  the  vast  work  of  restoration  and  recu- 
peration which  lies  before  us  in  a  manner  which  shall  con- 
vince the  world  that  we  have  spirit  to  overcome  misfor- 
tune and  rebuild  our  homes." 

That  which  the  September  storm  has  proven  for  Gal- 
veston is  that  the  site  of  the  city  may  be  and  must  be 
maintained,  that  it  is  within  the  elemental  conditions  that 
Galveston  can  be  restored,  that  the  courage  is  already 
apparent  and  the  capital  within  sight  to  do  it,  and  thai 
the  tremendous  tempest  has  told  how  it  should  be  done 
to  endure.  There  have  been  far  greater  obstacles  than 
those  at  Galveston  overcome  in  securing  the  foundations 
of  a  city.  Venice,  for  instance,  is  a  city  in  the  sea,  and 
stands  an  ancient  and  solid  one.  It  was  built  of  piles 
driven  deep  into  the  sandy  mud  and  backed  with  rock 


THE  NEW  GALVESTON. 

filling.  It  might  be  that  the  underpinning  of  Venice 
has  cost  nearly  or  altogether  as  much  as  the  stately  struc- 
tures that  have  stood  firm  so  long.  There  were  a  hundred 
islands  in  the  lagoon  to  begin  with.  Even  New  York  has 
had  to  overcome  difficulties  that  would  have  daunted  less 
capital  and  energy  than  are  gathered  there.  A  small  part 
of  the  city  was  built  on  marshes,  and  there  are  quick- 
sands that  absorb  an  enormous  mass  of  material  before  on 
it  edifices  are  reared,  but  a  more  troublesome  foe  of  the 
builders  is  found  in  a  rock  so  hard  and  obstinate  that  there 
are  square  miles  of  the  city  where  the  cellars  have  cost 
as  much  as  the  houses.  'New  Orleans  stands  on  ground 
made  by  the  Mississippi  and  the  mighty  river  has  re- 
peatedly made  stupendous  efforts  to  regain  the  ground  be- 
side which  she  rolls  her  frightful  floods.  A  tenth  part 
of  the  money  and  work  at  Galveston  that  have  been  in- 
vested in  the  security  of  New  Orleans  would  make  the 
gulf  city  safe  forever.  Chicago  is  not  menaced  by  the 
lake  in  storms,  but  the  land  upon  which  her  wonderful 
sky-scrapers  stand  was  originally  very  largely  a  swamp, 
and  it  has  been  a  vast  task  to  convert  the  fundamental 
mud  into  sure  and  steadfast  standing  room.  The  site  of 
the  land  of  the  city  as  it  was  when  Fort  Dearborn  was 
built  is  elevated  eight  feet,  a  prodigious  accomplishment  so 
complete  at  least  that  it  can.  hardly  be  realized.  Ex- 
traordinary it  certainly  is,  and  a  most  familiar  fact,  that 
though  the  Chicago  fire  swept  away  18,000  houses  and 
property  of  the  value  at  conservative  estimates,  of  $200,- 
000,000,  there  was  an  incalculable  compensation  in  the 
clearing  of  the  ground  by  the  fire,  and  the  material  the 
ruins  afforded  for  elevation  of  the  general  level,  though 


274  THE  NEW  GALVESTON. 

the  wonderful  heat  of  the    conflagration    melted    many 
bricks,  while  much  stone  crumbled  to  sand. 

Galveston  will  come  out  of  the  stormy  flood  as  Chi- 
cago from  the  tempest  of  fire,  but  she  has  had  a  lesson 
that  will  be  ruinous  at  last,  if  it  is  not  heeded  now. 
There  will  be  great  storms  hereafter.  Hurricanes  will 
continue  to  rise  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  the  Caribbean 
Sea  and  strike  the  coast  with  terrific  force.  The  building 
of  the  Galveston  that  was  can  not  in  the  aggregate  be  com- 
mended. Thousands  of  the  houses  were  not  strong.  They 
were  built  rather  to  welcome  a  breeze  than  resist  a 
storm.  It  was  not  a  tidal  wave  that  burst  upon  Gal- 
veston. It  was  a  horrible  commotion  of  the  air.  The 
wind  waves,  not  the  tidal  flows,  burst  upon  the  shores 
of  the  American  Mediterranean.  There  is  nothing  un- 
known or  miraculous  about  them.  There  is  no  reason 
that  they  should  excite  superstition,  or  quell  enterprise 
with  apprehension.  The  people  of  Texas  know  all  the 
facts,  and  they  know  Galveston  is  a  necessity,  and  that 
there  is  no  better  place  to  be  than  where  it  was.  It  must 
be  restored.  Some  of  the  modern  improvements  of  the 
city  were  careless.  The  winds  and  waves  had  provided 
protection  in  sand  hills  that  were  removed.  Nature  must 
now  be  assisted.  It  is  practical  to  make  permanent  barri- 
cades. The  thin  brick  wall  around  the  great  convent  where 
the  storm  was  intensest  saved  a  thousand  lives.  There 
should  be  many  brick  walls  deeply  grounded,  and  the 
bricks  cemented.  Heavy  stone  walls  would  be  better. 
There  is  an  abundance  of  available  rock.  The  Galves- 
tonians  might  well  make  a  study  of  the  way  Chicago  is 
barricaded  against  the  aggressions  of  eastern  storms.  Line 
upon  line  has  been  added  after  experience  had  crystallized 


THE  NEW  GALVE8TON.  275 

precept.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  many  circumstances 
compelled  the  burning  of  so  much  of  the  wreckage,  for  that 
itself  in  the  later  stages  of  the  storm  was  a  defense.  Na- 
ture at  last  fights  with  man  for  him,  if  he  woos  her  wisely. 
There  will  develop  a  thousand  forces  for  the  reconstruc- 
tion of  Galveston.  Her  good  points  have  been  made  known 
to  the  whole  world,  her  delicious  climate,  her  almost  in- 
comparable, sea  bathing,  her  supremacy  as  a  gulf  port,  her 
system  of  railroads  that  centralize  an  enormous  domain 
in  her  port  as  the  gate  to  Europe,  and  the  highway  to  all 
the  oceans.  Even  the  terrible  tempest  deepened  the  harbor 
and  the  nation  and  the  State  and  the  great  and  good  peo- 
ple all  will  deal  out  to  the  stricken  city  justice  with  a 
measure  that  will  have  celebrity  as  generosity.  The  Gulf 
of  Mexico  will  rapidly  become  of  greater  consequence 
than  ever.  It  is  on  the  line  of  the  grand  current  of  com- 
merce that  soon  will  be  sweeping  around  the  world,  pass- 
ing through  the  Suez  Canal  that  is,  and  the  Darien  Canal 
that  is  to  be ;  and  the  increasing  American  and  world-wide 
interest  in  the  Pacific  Ocean  will  have  an  influence  that 
will  whiten  the  «hores  of  the  Mediterranean  of  this 
hemisphere  as  that  of  the  one  famous  of  old  as  the  central 
sea  of  the  earth — central  to  one  hemisphere — and  the 
shores  of  our  central  sea  will  be  peopled  as  are  those 
of  the  ancient  waters  beside  which  the  cities  grew  that 
ruled  the  world ;  and  among  them  the  new  Galveston  will 
be  of  the  proudest,  before  time  has  made  her  walls  and  her 
halls  venerable. 


CHAPTEE  XVI. 

PREHISTORIC  GRAVEYARD  NEAR  GALVESTON. 

Eelics  of  a  prehistoric  race  were  discovered  in  Galves- 
ton,  Texas,  just  previous  to  the  storm  that  flooded  the 
city.  Nearly  2,000  human  skeletons  were  found,  and 
scientists  who  examined  the  excavations  had  just  given 
the  opinion  that  an  ancient  city  had  been  submerged  by 
a  tidal  wave  that  drowned  all  the  inhabitants,  when  the 
calamity  of  centuries  ago  was  repeated. 

The  bones  were  discovered  in  a  search  for  relics  for 
the  archaeological  exhibit  at  the  Pan-American  exposi- 
tion, which  is  to  be  held  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  next  summer. 
The  skeletons  are  beyond  a  doubt  several  thousand  years 
old,  and  the  character  of  the  people  who  occupied  the 
coast  of  the  gulf  at  this  period  is  an  interesting  subject 
for  speculation.  Whoever  they  may  have  been  and  when- 
ever they  may  have  lived,  the  remains  found  show  beyond 
a  question  that  some  terrible  outbreak  of  nature  caused 
the  sudden  death  of  thousands  of  these  ancient  people  and 
their  burial  in  the  strata  where  by  chance  they  were  ex- 
humed by  the  people  of  a  far-distant  age. 

It  was  but  a  short  time  ago  that  the  excavations  were 
begun  which  resulted  in  these  singular  and  extraordinary 
discoveries.  The  finding  of  the  remains  in  the  first  place 
was  quite  accidental.  H.  J.  Simmons,  superintendent  of 
the  Arizona  and  New  Mexico  railway,  was  making  excava- 
tions along  the  lines  of  the  railroad  near  Clear  Creek,  Gal- 
veston  county,  when  bones  were  found  in  the  earth  re- 
moved. On  examination  of  the  contents  of  the  steam  • 

276 


GRAVEYARD  NEAR  GALVESTON.   277 

shovel,  skulls  and  human  teeth  were  noticed,  and  further 
search  led  to  the  discovery  of  skeletons  of  whole  families, 
together  with  ivory  beads  and  other  objects  of  human 
handiwork. 

Kealizing  the  valuable  and  scientific  character  of  the 
discovery,  a  systematic  search  of  the  strata  in  the  vicinity 
was  made.  Geologists  say  that  the  whole  section  of  the 
State  was  once  covered  by  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  The  idea  at 
once  came  ta  Mr.  Simmons  that  in  far  distant  ages  a 
tidal  wave  had  occurred  at  the  time,  the  gulf  covered  more 
of  that  part  of  the  country  than  at  present  and  that  these 
bones  were  the  remains  of  the  thousands  of  human  beings 
who  had  been  drowned  in  the  overflow  of  the  waters  of  the 
gulf.  His  theory  was  later  upheld  by  leading  scientists. 

Evidently  these  people  were  not  mere  barbarians,  liv- 
ing in  temporary  abodes  and  having  no  permanent  abiding 
places.  The  number  of  the  skeletons  and  their  close  prox- 
imity to  one  another  indicates  that  there  existed  here  a 
populous  community  and  that  in  some  far  away  age  a  peo- 
ple devoted  to  the  pursuits  of  industry  and  more  or  less 
skilled  in  the  arts  were  here  living  in  a  city  having  its 
institutions  of  government  and  social  customs  and  some 
degree  of  civilization.  This  could  not  have  been  simply 
the  site  of  a  cemetery,  for  the  positions  in  which  the  skele- 
tons were  found  proves  conclusively  that  the  persons  were 
not  buried  after  a  natural  death,  but  were  drowned  and 
afterward  buried  beneath  the  debris  of  the  convulsion,  or 
hurriedly  and  in  wholesale  by  their  survivors,  as  was  done 
recently  at  Galveston.  While  all  the  skeletons  were  lying 
down,  some  were  face  up,  others  face  down,  and  many  on 
the  side.  There  was  no  regularity  in  their  burial  at  all. 
It  was  the  exception  to  find  one  skeleton  by  itself.  Usually 


278       GRAVEYARD  NEAR  GALVESTON. 

two,  and  sometimes  three  and  four  were  found  together, 
in  some  instances  as  many  as  fourteen  being  piled  in  a 
heap,  as  if  a  whole  family  had  gathered  to  meet  death, 
and  perished  in  one  another's  arms. 

Some  of  the  skulls  of  these  prehistoric  Texans  were 
of  enormous  size,  and  the  majority  of  them  had  rather 
low  foreheads.  A  singular  fact  observed  was  that  while 
all  of  the  teeth  were  considerably  worn,  showing  the  use 
of  hard  food  and  age  of  the  persons,  there  was  in  no  case 
the  slightest  indication  of  decay,  a  quite  different  situa- 
tion from  that  observed  in  relics  of  more  modern  but  still 
prehistoric  Indians,  among  whom  dental  caries  is  com- 
paratively common.  Several  thousand  skeletons  were  re- 
moved in  the  process  of  excavation.  Fifteen  hundred  were 
actually  counted  in  the  first  part  of  the  excavation,  and 
doubtless  several  thousand  more  were  removed.  As  a 
rule  they  were  soft  and  damp  when  first  uncovered,  but 
many  became  fairly  hard  after  being  exposed  a  while  to 
the  sun.  No  bones  of  children  were  found,  and  this  was 
accounted  for  by  the  supposition  that  they  had  all  de- 
cayed. 

The  situation  of  this  remarkable  archaeological  dis- 
covery was  a  deposit  of  shell,  gravel,  and  sand  in  a  bank 
consisting  of  about  thirty  acres  nearly  surrounded  by  the 
Clear  creek.  This  deposit  consists  of  seven  distinct  strata, 
each  about  three  feet  thick,  and  between  each  stratum  there 
is  a  deposit  of  silt  or  earth  from  a  quarter  of  an  inch  to 
an  inch  in  thickness.  On  the  top  of  the  bank  the  soil  is 
about  eight  inches  deep,  and  large  live  oak  trees  grow 
thickly  over  it.  It  is  one  of  the  last  places  to  which  one 
would  go  in  looking  for  the  remains  of  a  prehistoric  race. 
~No  two  of  the  strata  arpy  exactly  alike,  some  having  a  larger 


'GRAVEYARD  NEAR  GALVESTON.       279 

percentage  of  gravel  than  others,  and  the  shells  also  vary. 
Some  are  much  larger  than  others,  some  are  oyster  shells, 
and  some  are  clam.  On  the  average  the  deposit  consists  of 
about  10  per  cent  shell,  40  per  cent  gravel,  and  20  per  cent 
coarse  sand.  In  the  second  layer  from  the  top  the  bones 
were  found  in  great  abundance,  and  in  the  bottom  layer, 
just  at  water  level,  and  about  twenty-one  feet  below  the 
top  of  the  bank,  large  quantities  of  the  bones  were  de- 
posited. 

Just  how  to  explain  this  phase  of  the  situation  has 
taxed  the  antiquarians.  Some  suggest  the  possibility  of 
two  successive  tidal  waves,  one  perhaps  far  removed  from 
the  other  in  point  of  time.  The  ivory  beads  found  were 
about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  in  diameter  and  an  inch  and  a 
half  to  two  inches  long,  with  a  hole  cut  lengthwise  and  a 
diagonal  groove  cut  on  the  outside0 

The  exhibit  of  these  bonos  in  the  ethnology  building  of 
the  Pan-American  exposition  at  Buffalo  will  be  a  most 
valuable  one,  in  view  of  the  wide  interest  excited  by  the 
fate  of  thousands  who  perished  recently  in  this  same  part 
of  the  country  in  the  same  way. 

Science  does  not  wholly  discard  the  imagination,  but 
on  the  contrary  accepts  its  suggestions  and  constructs 
whole  histories,  as  is  said  may  be  done  in  producing  a 
complete  skeleton  on  the  production  of  one  bone.  The 
logic  of  a  single  fact  moral  or  material  has  before  and 
behind  it,  traceable  centuries.  It  is,  however,  not  proven 
that  the  prehistoric  bones  near  Galveston  Bay  were  those 
of  the  victims  of  a  tidal  wave  on  the  gulf,  or  even  shown 
that  there  was  a  horrible  tempest  ages  ago  in  which  a  city 
perished  with  all  its  people.  The  recent  experience  of 
Galveston  would  seem  to  show  that  there  would  not  be 


280   GRAVEYARD  NEAR  GALVESTON. 

immense  collections  of  the  bones  of  the  victims  of  a  great 
storm  found  on  or  near  the  spot.  The  prehistoric  people 
of  America,  as  many  ruins  abundantly  testify,  must  have 
advanced  in  civilization,  beyond  any  tribes  Or  kingdoms 
discovered  when  the  Spaniards  began  their  adventurous 
colonization.  It  is  a  question  whether  the  Peruvians  and 
Mexicans  were  capable  of  the  cities  whose  ruins  in  Cen- 
tral America  invite  conjectujre  to  task  credulity,  and 
romance  to  fill  tEe  vast  gaps  in  history.  Upon  the  plains 
t)f  Texas  near  ifbe  sea  there  may  have  been  great  com- 
munities of  a  gentler  race  than  those  either  north  or  south 
of  the  northern  shores  of  the  Ocean  we  call  the  Gulf,  and 
they  may  have  been  conquered  and  massacred  by  the  fierce 
red  savages  who  peopled  the  land  where  our  states  are 
established.  The  coincidence  of  the  discovery  of  the 
city  of  skeletons  so  close  in  time  and  place  to  the  catas- 
trophe of  Galveston  is  certainly  most  curious,  but  is  con- 
vincing of  nothing* 


CHAPTEE  XVII. 

THE  GIANT  OF  THE  STATES. 

Q-eorge  Washington,  writing  as  a  young  explorer,  said 
of  the  Ohio  country,  to  which  he  had  been  sent  by  the  Gov- 
ernor of  Virginia  to  warn  the  French  to  depart  from  the 
land  that  belonged  to  the  King  of  England,  that  the  claim 
of  the  French  of  the  territory  for  the  King  of  France  was 
that  the  country  had  bem  discovered  by  La  Salle,  who 
was  a  most  adventurous,  energetic  and  intelligent  man. 
He  penetrated  the  country  of  which  Texas  is  a  part  in 
1680.  King's  Handbook  of  the  United  States  says: 

"The  first  European  settlement  in  Texas  was  made  by 
Sieur  de  la  Salle,  who  in  1685  erected  Fort  St.  Louis,  on 
the  Lavaca,  near  Matagorda  Bay,  The  French  garrison 
was  destroyed  by  the  Indians ;  and  five  years  later  Captain 
De  Leon  and  110  Spanish  soldiers  and  monks  founded  on 
the  same  site  the  mission  of  San  Francisco.  rAfter  a 
gloomy  period  of  Indian  hostilities  and  failing  crops,  gov- 
ernor and  garrisons  and  colonists  abandoned  the  country 
altogether.  In  1714  St.  Denis  was  sent  to  occupy  Texas 
for  France,  but  having  been  captured  by  Spanish  troops 
on  the  Eio  Grande,  he  aided  in  establishing  in  Texas  divers 
Spanish  missions,  San  Antonio,  Dolores,  San  Agostino, 
and  RTacogdoches.  The  domain  bore  the  name  of  the 
"New  Philippines,  and  the  Marquis  De  Aguayo  became  its 
Governor-General.  For  over  a  century  Franciscan  mis- 
sionaries and  clergy  worked  among  the  Indians,  convert- 
ing them  to  Christianity  and  semi-civilization.  Their  de- 
cline began  in  1758,  after  the  dreadful  massacre  of  the 

281 


282  GIANT  OF  THE  STATES. 

pastors,  fl6ck  and  garrison  of  San  Saba,  and  the  workmen 
in  the  silver  mines  near  that  place.  The  Conception,  San 
Jose  de  Aguayo,  San  Juan  Capistrano,  San  Francisco  de 
la  Espada  and  San  Fernando  missions  still  stand  in  and 
near  San  Antonio,  most  of  them  picturesque  ruins.  The 
mission  of  San  Antonio  de  Valero,  after  being  secularized 
by  the  Spanish  government,  in  1793  became  a  military 
garrison,  and  received  a  deathless  renown  under  the  name 
of  Alamo. 

Of  the  Spanish,  Alonzo  de  Leon  made  the  first  attempt 
to  settle  Texas,  and  in  1691  a  governor  and  troops  were 
sent  here  by  Spain.  La  Salle  called  the  country  Louisiana, 
for  Louis  XIV.  The  Spaniards  named  it  New  Philip- 
pines, in  honor  of  Philip  V.  San  Antonio,  the  oldest 
European  settlement  in  Texas,  was  founded  in  1693 ; 
Goliad  and  Nacogdoches  in  1717.  The  foundation  of  the 
Alamo  was  laid  in  1744,  and  it  was  denominated  a  mission. 
Prior  to  1820  Texas  was  ruled  by  governors.  In  1823 
Stephen  F.  Austin  arrived  with  colonists,  when  the  Mex- 
ican States  of  Coahuila  and  Texas  constituted  one  govern- 
ment, with  their  capital  at  Saltillo. 

"Texas  contains  274,356  square  miles,  exclusive  of  bays 
and  lakes.  It  extends  from  the  26th  parallel  of  north 
latitude  to  36£  north  latitude  and  from  the  16th  to  the 
13th  meridian  of  longitude  west  from  Washington." 

The  giant  of  the  States  is  a  little  more  than  equal  in 
area  to  Maine,  New  Hampshire,  Vermont,  Massachusetts, 
Rhode  Island,  Connecticut,  New  York,  Pennsylvania, 
New  Jersey,  Delaware,  Maryland,  Ohio  and  Indiana  com- 
bined. There  is  more  land  in  Texas  than  any  country  in 
Europe,  excepting  Russia.  Van  Nostran's  "Texarkana 
Gateway  to  Texas  and  the  Southwest"  says  that  if  the 


GIANT  OF  THE  STATES.  283 

State  was  as  densely  populated  as  New  York,  it  would 
contain  28,000,000  inhabitants;  or  if  as  populous  as 
France,  it  would  contain  45,000,000 ;  or  if  as  populous  as 
Japan,  it  would  contain  65,000,000 ;  or  if  as  populous  as 
Belgium,  it  would  contain  133,000,000.  With  a  sea  coast 
line  of  five  hundred  miles,  it  has  many  localities  for  ad- 
mirable harbors,  and  which  will  some  day  serve  as  out- 
lets for  the  enormous  trade  that  must  now  to  a  market 
from  Kansas,  Nebraska,  Colorado,  and  other  rapidly  de- 
veloping States  of  the  West,  into  Mexico  and  the  Central 
and  South  American  countries,  and  for  the  entry  ports  of 
the  return  commodities,  worth  annually  many  hundred 
millions  of  dollars. 

Deep  water  on  the  coast  of  Texas  is  now  receiving  mer- 
ited attention.  At  Galveston  a  depth  of  24  feet  has  al- 
ready been  attained.  The  channel  is  rapidly  deepening. 
Eour  other  points  on  the  coast,  viz. :  Aransas  Pass,  Cor- 
pus Christi,  Sabine  Pass,  and  Velasco,  mouth  of  the 
Brazos  river,  are  engaged  in  channel  improvements,  and 
will,  doubtless  in  the  near  future,  be  deep  water  ports.  A 
new  and  even  more  prosperous  era  in  the  history  of  Texas 
will  then  be  inaugurated,  and  the  State  will  present  an 
almost  unlimited  field  for  safe  and  profitable  investment 
in  numberless  and  varied  enterprises  and  occupations. 

On  the  same  authority:  "The  coast  range  along  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico  is  a  level  prairie,  extending  fifty  miles 
into  the  interior,  intersected  by  the  large  rivers,  but 
nearly  destitute  of  timber,  if  we  except  the  small  ever- 
green mesquite  tree — a  species  of  the  acacia — which,  en- 
cumbered in  all  its  branches  with  the  mistletoe,  springs 
in  every  conceivable  locality.  Many  cool  springs  and 
beautiful  fresh  and  salt  water  lakes  are  met  with  in  this 


284  GIANT  OF  TEE  STATES. 

prairie,  and  many  wild  flowers,  which,  in  their  wealth  of 
fragrance,  compensate  the  lack  of  names,  bloom  in  pro- 
fusion during  nearly  the  whole  year." 

The  enormous  scope  of  the  State,  north  and  south  being 
ten  and  one-half  degrees,  and  in  part  having  great  eleva- 
tions, gives  remarkable  variety  and  purity  of  climate.  The 
"northers"  are  periodical  winds  occurring  between  the 
months  of  September  and  March,  formed  by  the  descent  of 
cool  air,  which,  upon  reaching  the  plains,  hurries  forward 
to  the  current  of  the  trade-winds ;  and  during  the  warmer 
months,  moist  breezes  from  the  ocean  supply  the  place  of 
the  heated  air  ascending  from  the  prairie,  and  of  much 
needed  summer  rains,  until  far  to  the  westward  they  have, 
in  climbing  the  Cordilleras  ranges,  lost  all  their  moisture. 
These  changing  winds  prevail  as  far  westward  as  the 
northeastern  portion  of  the  staked  plains,  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Peeos,  and  along  the  Sierra  Madre  to  the  sea.  Mr. 
Thorpe,  in  his  account  of  the  Broca  Chica  and  the  Brazos 
Santiago,  remarks  as  to  these  restless  winds  along  the 
coast,  that  "there  seems  ever  to  b©  some  troubled  spirit 
in  the  waters  and  the  air,  that  throws  about  the  voyager's 
craft,  and  makes  him  cautious  in  his  movements.  It  is 
indeed  the  most  difficult  and  hazardous  coast  with  which 
I  am  acquainted."  Such  are  some  of  the  general  char- 
acteristics of  Texas;  deficient  in  large  navigable  rivers 
and  in  safe  and  capacious  harbors. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE  BATTLE  THAT  DETERMINED  THE  DESTINY  OP 

TEXAS. 

As  early  as  1830  as  many  as  20,000  American  farmers 
had  invaded  Texas  with  their  plows,  and  were  settled  in 
American  colonies.  In  1833  they  wanted  admission  as  a 
State  into  the  Mexican  Union,  but  Austin,  whom  they  sent 
to  conduct  negotiations,  was  thrown  into  prison,  and  troops 
marched  from  Mexico  to  disarm  the  Texans  and  arrest 
their  civic  officials.  The  officials  of  Cohuila,  of  which 
Texas  was  a  part  dependency,  also  annoyed  the  pioneers, 
and  the  policy  of  Santa  Anna  threatened  to  obliterate  their 
freedom.  The  United  States  made  two  attempts  to  buy 
Texas,  in  1827  and  1829.  At  last  the  American  colonists 
rose  in  armed  revolution  in  1835,  and  inflicted  serious 
defeats  on  the  Mexicans  at  Gonzales  and  Goliad,  and 
stormed  San  Antonio.  The  Texans  proclaimed  their  coun- 
try to  be  a  free  and  independent  republic.  Santa  Anna, 
the  president  of  Mexico,  led  7,500  troops  across  the  Rio 
Grande,  and  in  1836  massacred  the  Texan  command  at 
Goliad.  Marching  upon  San  Antonio,  "the  Napoleon  of 
the  West"  bombarded  and  stormed  Alamo,  and  after  a 
bitter  fight,  in  which  he  lost  1,500  men,  he  slew  all  its  de- 
fenders, Travis  and  Crockett  and  Bowie,  and  170  other 
Texan  heroes.  It  has  been  grandly  said,  "Thermopylae 
had  her  messenger  of  death :  the  Alamo  had  none."  Gen. 
Houston,  a  Fabian  leader,  retreated  far  into  the  country, 
and  when  the  pursuing  army  got  where  he  wanted  it  to  be, 
at  San  Jacinto,  he  annihilated  it,  and  captured  Santa 
Anna.  But  the  war  was  long  drawn  out,  and  as  late  as 

285 


286        TEXAS'  DESTINY  DETERMINED. 

1842  successive  armies  under  Vasquez  and  Woll  captured 
San  Antonio ;  and  Gen.  Ampuida  and  the  Yucatan  regi- 
ment overwhelmed  Fisher's  Texans  at  Mier. 

The  story  of  the  battle  of  San  Jacinto  was  told  in  a 
manner  worthy  the  thrilling  fight  by  the  Hon.  John  M. 
Niles,  1843.  He  relates  that  Houston,  though  his  force 
was  greatly  outnumbered  by  that  of  Santa  Anna,  resolved 
to  give  him  battle,  and  finding  the  point  where  they  would 
meet  the  enemy,  *pressed  forward,  to  be  the  first  to  occupy 
the  ground.  This  secured  them  not  a  victory,  but  a  battle, 
and  that  was  the  object  of  their  present  movement,  that 
began  April  18,  1836.  The  Texans  had  determined  to 
hazard  all  upon  a  blow,  which,  if  ineffectual,  they  well 
knew  must  be  fatal  to  their  country  and  themselves,  since 
Texas  had  no  other  army. 

Santa  Anna  having  crossed -the  Brazos  at  Fort  Bend, 
thirty  miles  below  San  Felipe,  had  directed  his  march 
upon  Harrisburg,  as  Houston  had  anticipated;  but  the 
movement  had  taken  place  earlier  than  was  expected. 
Houston,  after  having  gained  intelligence  of  this  move- 
ment of  his  enemy,  through  the  capture  of  his  courier  on 
the  evening  of  the  18th,  and  learning  also  his  intention  to 
return  to  Lynch's  Ferry,  near  the  mouth  of  Buffalo  Bayou, 
in  order  to  cross  the  San  Jacinto  on  his  way  to  Anahuac, 
pressed  forward  with  his  army  for  the  point  indicated, 
which  he  reached  on  the  20th;  and  before  his  army  had 
time  to  prepare  refreshments  the  Mexican  army  appeared 
in  view.  Santa  Anna  had  drawn  up  in  battle  array,  and 
made  some  show  of  attacking  Houston  in  his  position.  A 
cannonading  was  opened  for  a  short  time  on  both  sides,  and 
some  skirmishing  took  place  between  the  opposing  cavalry, 
and  also  between  detached  parties  of  infantry.  The  Mexi- 


TEXAS'  DESTINY  DETERMINED.        287 

cans,  however,  soon  retired,  and  took  a  position  three- 
fourths  of  a  mile  distant  from  the  Texan  camp.  Houston 
had  not  declined  the  offered  battle,  but  willingly  drew  off 
his  men  when  the  enemy  retired,  desirous  of  invigorating 
them  with  sleep  and  refreshments,  for  they  had  marched 
two  days  and  nights,  and  they  heard  of  the  presence  of 
the  Mexican  army  while  engaged  in  slaughtering  beeves. 
Houston  says: 

"About  nine  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  21st  the  en- 
emy were  reinforced  by  five  hundred  choice  troops,  under 
the  command  of  Gen.  Cos,  increasing  their  effective  force 
to  upward  of  fifteen  hundred  men,  whilst  our  aggregate 
force  for  the  field  numbered  seven  hundred  and  eighty- 
three.  At  half -past  three  o'clock  in  the  evening  I  ordered 
the  officers  of  the  Texan  army  to  parade  their  respective 
commands,  having,  in  the  meantime,  ordered  the  bridge 
on  the  only  road  communicating  with  the  Brazos,  distant 
eight  miles  from  our  encampment,  to  be  destroyed,  thus 
cutting  off  all  possibility  of  escape.  Our  troops  paraded 
with  alacrity  and  spirit,  and  were  anxious  for  the  contest. 
Their  conscious  disparity  of  numbers  seemed  only  to  in- 
crease their  enthusiasm  and  confidence,  and  heightened 
their  anxiety  for  the  conflict.  Our  situation  afforded  me 
the  opportunity  for  making  the  arrangements  preparatory 
to  the  attack,  without  exposing  our  designs.  Every  evolu- 
tion was  performed  with  alacrity,  the  whole  advancing 
rapidly  in  line,  and  through  an  open  prairie,  without  any 
protection  whatever  for  our  men.  The  artillery  advanced 
and  took  station  within  two  hundred  yards  of  the  enemy's 
breastwork,  and  commenced  an  effective  fire  with  grape 
and  canister." 

Houston's    artillery    consisted    of    two    six-pounders 


288        TEXAS'  DESTINY  DETERMINED. 

(brass),  that  had  been  bought  with  money  raised  by  the 
ladies  of  Cincinnati,  in  whose  name  they  were  presented 
to  General  Houston.  Houston  says: 

"Col.  Sherman  and  his  regiment,  having  commenced  the 
action  upon  our  left  wing,  the  whole  line,  at  the  center  and 
on  the  right,  advancing  in  double  quick  time,  with  the  war- 
cry,  'Remember  the  Alamo,'  received  the  enemy's  fire,  and 
advanced  within  point-blank  shot  before  a  piece  was  dis- 
charged from  our  lines.  Our  line  advanced  without  a  'halt 
until  they  were  in  possession  of  the  woodland  and  our 
enemy's  breastwork.  The  right  wing  of  Burleson  and  the 
left  of  Millard  taking  possession  of  the  breastwork;  our 
artillery  having  charged  gallantly  up  within  seventy  yards 
of  the  enemy's  cannon,  when  it  Was  taken  by  our  troops. 
The  conflict  lasted  about  eighteen  minutes  from  the  time 
of  close  action  until  we  were  in  possession  of  the  enemy's 
encampment,  taking  one  piece  of  cannon  (loaded),  four 
stand  of  colors,  all  their  camp  equipage,  stores  and  bag- 
gage. Our  cavalry  had  charged  and  routed  that  of  the  en- 
emy upon  the  right,  and  given  pursuit  to  the  fugitives, 
which  did  not  cease  until  they  arrived  at  the  bridge  I 
mentioned  before,  Captain  Karnes,  always  among  the 
foremost  in  danger,  commanding  the  pursuers.  The  con- 
flict in  the  breastwork  lasted  but  a  few  moments;  many 
of  the  troops  encountered  hand  to  hand,  and  not  having 
the  advantage  of  bayonets  on  our  side,  our  riflemen  used 
their  pieces  as  war-clubs,  breaking  many  of  them  off  at  the 
breech.  The  route  commenced  at  half-past  four,  and  the 
pursuit  by  the  main  army  continued  until  twilight.  A 
guard  was  then  left  in  charge  of  the  enemy's  encampment, 
and  our  army  returned  with  their  killed  and  wounded. 
In  the  battle  our  loss  was  two  killed  and  twenty-three 


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TEXAS'  DESTINY  DETERMINED.        280 

wounded,  six  of  them  mortally.  The  enemy's  loss  was  630 
killed,  among  whom  was  one  general  officer,  four  colonels, 
two  lieutenant-colonels,  seven  captains,  one  cadet.  Prison- 
ers, 730 — President  General  Santa  Anna,  Gen.  Cos,  four 
colonels,  aids  to  General  Santa  Anna,  and  the  colonel  of 
the  Guerrero  battalion,  are  included  in  the  number.  Gen- 
eral Santa  Anna  was  not  taken  until  the  22nd,  and  General 
Cos  on  yesterday,  very  few  having  escaped.  About  600 
muskets,  300  sabres  and  200  pistols  have  been  collected 
since  the  action;  several  hundred  mules  and  horses  were 
taken,  and  near  twelve  thousand  dollars  in  specie.  For 
several  days  previous  to  the  action  our  troops  were  en- 
gaged in  forced  marches,  exposed  to  excessive  rains,  and 
the  additional  inconvenience  of  extremely  bad  roads,  ill 
supplied  with  rations  and  clothing — yet  amid  every  diffi- 
culty they  bore  up  with  cheerfulness  and  fortitude,  and 
performed  their  marches  with  spirit  and  alacrity—there 
was  no  murmuring." 

The  Secretary  of  War  of  Texas,  Col.  Rusk,  was  on  the 
field,  and  said  in  his  official  report : 

"Major-General  Houston  acted  with  great  gallantry, 
encouraging  his  men  to  the  attack  and  heroically  charging, 
in  front  of  the  infantry,  within  a  few  yards  of  the  enemy, 
receiving  at  the  same  time  a  wound  in  his  leg. 

"The  enemy  soon  took  to  flight,  officers  and  all,  some 
on  foot  and  some  on  horseback.  In  ten  minutes  after  the 
firing  of  the  first  gun  we  were  charging  through  the  camp 
and  driving  them  before  us.  They  fled  in  confusion  and 
dismay  down  the  river,  followed  closely  by  our  troops  for 
four  miles.  Some  of  them  took  the  prairie,  and  were  pur- 
sued by  our  cavalry;  others  were  shot  in  attempting  to 
swim  the  river ;  and  in  a  short  period  the  sanguinary  con- 


290        TEXAS'  DE8TINY  DETERMINED. 

flict  was  terminated  by  the  surrender  of  nearly  all  who 
were  not  slain  in  the  combat.  One-half  of  their  army 
perished;  the  other  half  are  prisoners,  among  whom  are 
Gen.  Santa  Anna  himself." 

Col.  Rusk  closed  his  report : 

"The  sun  was  sinking  in  the  horizon  as  the  battle  com- 
menced ;  but,  at  the  close  of  the  conflict,  the  sun  of  liberty 
and  independence  rose  in  Texas,  never,  it  is  hoped,  to  be 
obscured  by  the  clouds  of  despotism." 


CHAPTEE  XIX. 

THE  SEVEN  FLAGS  OF  TEXAS. 

Texas  is  the  only  part  of  the  North  American  continent 
that  has  been  under  seven  national  flags. 

1.  The  Bourbon  flag  of  France,  white,  with  lilies. 

2.  The  red  and  yellow  standard  of  Spain. 

3.  The  tri-color  and  the  eagles  of  Napoleon. 

4.  The  stars  and  stripes. 

5.  The  flag  of  Mexico. 

6.  The  lone  star  of  Texas. 

7.  The  stars  and  bars  of  the  Southern  Confederacy. 
Again  the  old  flag  of  the  stars  and  stripes,  with  all  the 

old  stars  and  new  ones. 

The  annexation  of  Texas  to  the  United  States  was  Feb- 
ruary 16,  1846. 

[HISTORY  OF  TEXAS,  from  1685  to  1892.  By  John 
Henry  Brown.  St.  Louis:  L.  E.  Daniel.] 

Under  a  proclamation  of  President  Jones,  the  new,  and 
first  legislature  of  the  State  assembled  at  Austin  on  the 
16th  of  February,  1846.  The  senate  organized  by  the 
election  of  Jesse  Grimes  as  President  pro  tern.  In  the 
House  of  Representatives  Wm.  E.  Crump  was  elected 
Speaker. 

Both  houses,  having  completed  their  organization,  as- 
sembled in  joint  session  to  witness  the  closing  scenes  in 
the  drama  of  annexation. 

It  was  a  scene  witnessed  by  many  persons  from  all  parts 
of  Texas,  over  which  the  banner  of  the  lone  star  floated  for 

291 


292          ?&£  SJSVtiN  FLAGS  OF  TEXAS. 

the  last  time.  President  Jones  delivered  his  valedictory 
address,  from  which  brief  extracts  follow.  He  said : 

"The  great  measure  of  annexation,  so  earnestly  dis- 
cussed, is  happily  consummated.  The  present  occasion, 
so  full  of  interest  to  us  and  to  all  the  people  of  this  coun- 
try, is  an  earnest  of  that  consummation ;  and  I  am  happy 
to  greet  you,  their  chosen  representatives,  and  to  tender 
you  my  cordial  congratulations  on  an  event  the  most  ex- 
traordinary in  the  annals  of  the  world ;  one  which  marks 
a  bright  triumph  in  the  history  of  Republican  institutions. 
A  government  is  changed  both  in  its  officers  and  in  its 
organization — not  by  violence  and  disorder,  but  by  the 
deliberate  and  free  consent  of  its  citizens ;  and  amid  per- 
fect and  universal  peace  and  tranquillity,  the  sovereignty 
of  the  nation  is  surrendered,  and  incorporated  with  that 
of  another.  *  *  * 

"The  lone  star  of  Texas,  which  ten  years  since  arose 
amid  clouds  over  fields  of  carnage,  and  obscurely  seen  for 
a  while,  has  culminated,  and  followed  an  inscrutable  des- 
tiny; has  passed  on  and  become  fixed  forever  in  that  glo- 
rious constellation  which  all  freemen  and  lovers  of  freedom 
in  the  world  must  reverence  and  adore — the  American 
Union.  Blending  its  rays  with  its  sister  States,  long  may 
it  continue  to  shine,  and  may  generous  heaven  smile  upon 
the  consummation  of  the  wishes  of  the  two  Republics  now 
joined  in  one.  May  the  union  be  perpetual,  and  may  it  be 
the  means  of  conferring  benefits  and  blessings  upon  the 
people  of  all  the  States,  is  my  ardent  prayer. 

"The  first  act  in  the  great  drama  is  now  performed. 
The  Republic  of  Texas  is  no  more." 

General  Henderson  then  delivered  his  inaugural  ad- 
dress. It  was  elegant  in  diction,  and  breathed  the  spirit 


THE  SEVEN  FLAGS  OF  TEXAS.          293 

of  fervent  patriotism.  He  ably  pointed  out  the  work  be- 
fore them,  involving  the  change  of  laws  to  suit  the  altered 
condition  of  the  country ;  a  vast  labor  demanding  thought- 
ful and  patient  care. 

Texas  received  many  congratulations,  none  more  fervid 
and  sincere  than  from  ex-President  Andrew  Jackson.  He 
appreciated  the  value  of  the  addition  of  Texas  to  the 
Union,  and  congratulated  the  United  States  as  well, 
always  regarding  the  act  as  the  "re-annexation  of  Texas." 
He  said:  "I  now  behold  the  great  American  eagle,  with 
her  stars  and  stripes,  hovering  over  the  lone  star  of  Texas, 
with  cheering  voice  welcoming  it  into  our  glorious  Union, 
and  proclaiming  to  Mexico  and  all  foreign  governments, 
'You  must  not  attempt  to  tread  upon  Texas' — that  the 
United  stars  and  stripes  now  defend  her." 

Texas  received  $10,000,000  from  the  United  States 
for  the  great  domains  west  and  north  of  its  present  bor- 
ders, and  the  debt  of  the  Eepublic  and  the  expense  of  the 
State  for  many  years  were  paid  therewith.  It  also  re- 
ceived the  right  to  divide  into  five  States,  if  future  devel- 
opment should  require  it.  The  imperial  area  of  public 
lands  within  the  State  Texas  reserved  for  her  own  control 
and  disposal.  When  the  secession  war  opened  the  Gov- 
ernor, Sam  Houston,  formerly  President  of  Texas,  made 
every  effort  to  hold  his  State  firm  in  her  loyalty  to  the 
Union;  but  the  people  voted  in  favor  of  secession,  39,415 
to  13,841.  Gen.  Twiggs  surrendered  twenty  United  States 
forts ;  and  the  garrisons,  2,500  soldiers,  with  their  arms, 
were  conveyed  out  of  the  State.  Houston  was  deposed 
from  the  Governorship,  and  then  the  State  swung  into  the 
Confederate  line.  The  war  made  little  impress  on  this 
imperial  domain,  which  happily  lay  outside  of  its  ap- 


294         THE  SEVEN  FLAGS  OF  TEXAS. 

palling  struggles.  The  Federal  fleet  and  army  occupied 
Galveston  October  4,  1862?  but  were  driven  out  three 
months  later  with  heavy  losses,  and  the  Confederates  held 
the  port  until  the  end  of  the  war.  The  National  fleets 
were  twice  repulsed  from  Sabine  Pass  by  Confederate 
cotton-clad  steamboats  and  forts,  and  lost  four  gunboats. 
In  November,  1862,  Gen.  Dana  occupied  Brazos  Santiago 
and  Brownsville  with  6,000  soldiers  from  New  Orleans, 
and  the  whole  coast  except  Galveston  and  the  Brazos  Eiver 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Federal  troops.  These  useless 
garrisons  were  soon  withdrawn,  except  at  Brazos  Santiago. 

In  the  fall  of  1862  General  Magruder,  Confederate 
States  army,  assumed  command  of  the  Trans-Mississippi 
(that  is,  west  of  the  Mississippi)  Department.  He  de- 
termined at  once  to  attempt  the  recapture  of  Galveston. 
He  went  to  Virginia  Point,  where  the  Confederate  troops 
were  camped,  and  there  with  great  caution  and  secrecy 
made  his  plans. 

At  the  head  of  Galveston  Bay  the  Neptune  and  the 
Bayou  City,  two  small  steamboats,  were  bulwarked  with 
cotton  bales,  mounted  with  cannon,  and  manned  with 
sharpshooters  from  the  Confederate  States  cavalry  and 
artillery.  The  Lady  Gwinn  and  the  John  F.  Carr  were 
detailed  to  accompany  these  vessels  as  tenders.  This  crude 
fleet  was  commanded  by  Captain  Leon  Smith,  who  had 
served  in  the  navy  of  the  Texas  Kepublic. 

About  midnight  on  the  31st  of  December  the  boats 
moved  down  the  bay  to  a  position  above  the  town,  where 
they  quietly  awaited  General  Magruder's  signal  gun. 

Magruder  had  already  crossed  his  troops  to  the  island. 
They  marched  swiftly  through  the  deserted  streets  of  the 
city,  and,  by  the  light  of  the  waning  moon,  planted  their 


THE  SEVEN  FLAGS  OF  TEXAS.          295 

batteries.  At  five  o'clock  on  New  Year's  morning,  1863, 
the  attack  began.  It  was  a  complete  surprise  to  the  Fed- 
erals. 

The  ships  of  the  blockading  fleet,  under  the  command 
of  Commodore  Renshaw,  were  nearly  all  within  the  bay. 
The  Harriet  Lane,  commanded  by  Commodore  Wain- 
wright,  was  lying  near  the  wharf.  At  a  little  distance  was 
the  ironclad  Westfield,  Commodore  Renshaw' s  flag-ship, 
attended  by  the  Owasco ;  still  further  out  were  the  armed 
vessels,  the  Clifton  and  the  Sachem,  and  the  barges  the 
Elias  Park  and  the  Cavallo. 

The  war-ships  answered  the  fire  of  Magruder's  bat- 
teries with  a  terrific  hail  of  iron;  once  the  Confederate 
gunners  were  driven  from  their  guns.  But  the  Neptune 
and  the  Bayou  City  steamed  up  to  the  Harriet  Lane  and 
attacked  her  at  close  quarters,  pouring  a  hot  fire  into  her 
from  beyond  the  rampart  of  cotton  bales. 

The  Neptune  with  a  hole  in  her  hull  made  by  a  cannon 
ball  soon  sank  in  the  shallow  water.  The  Bayou  City  was 
also  disabled.  The  Confederate  sharpshooters  leaped  on 
board  the  Harriet  Lane;  and,  after  a  bloody  fight  on  her 
deck,  captured  her.  Commodore  Wainwright  was  killed 
early  in  the  action.  First  Lieutenant  Lea  was  mortally 
wounded. 

The  Union  infantry  made  a  gallant  resistance  to  the 
land  attack,  but  they  were  finally  obliged  to  surrender. 

The  Sachem,  the  Clifton  and  the  Owasco  stood  out  to 
sea  and  escaped.  The  Westfield  ran  aground  and  was 
blown  up  to  prevent  her  capture.  Commodore  Renshaw 
and  his  officers  had  left  the  vessel,  but  their  boats  were  too 
near  when  the  explosion  took  place  prematurely,  and  they 
perished  with  her.  The  Harriet  Lane  and  the  barges,  with 


296          THE  SEVEN  FLAGS  OF  TEXAS. 

several  hundred  prisoners,  remained  in  the  hands  of  the 
victors. 

The  loss  in  this  battle  on  the  Confederate  side  was 
twelve  killed  and  seventy  wounded.  The  Federals  lost 
one  hundred  and  fifty  killed  and  many  wounded. 

Among  the  mortally  wounded  were  two  young  soldiers, 
the  story  of  whose  death  even  yet  stirs  the  heart  with 
pity.  One  fell  fighting  under  the  starry  cross  of  the  Con- 
federacy. The  other  dropped  on  the  bloody  deck  of  the 
Harriet  Lane  under  the  shadow  of  the  Stars  and  Stripes. 
The  Confederate  was  Lieutenant  Sidney  Sherman,  son  of 
the  gallant  veteran,  General  Sidney  Sherman,  who  led  the 
infantry  charge  at  San  Jacinto.  The  lieutenant  was 
hardly  more  than  a  boy.  The  blood  oozed  from  his  wounds 
as  he  lay  dying,  but  the  smile  of  victory  parted  his  lips. 
Suddenly  his  blue  eyes  grew  soft  and  tender.  "Break  this 
gently  to  my  mother,"  he  whispered.  These  were  his  last 
words. 

The  young  Union  soldier  was  Edward  Lea,  first  lieu- 
tenant of  the  Harriet  Lane.  His  wounds  were  also  fatal. 
But  as  his  life  was  ebbing  away  he  heard  his  name  spoken 
in  a  tone  of  agony.  He  opened  his  eyes.  His  father, 
Major  Lea  of  the  Confederate  army,  was  kneeling  beside 
him.  Father  and  son  had  fought  on  opposite  sides  that 
dark  New  Year's  morning.  The  pale  face  of  the  young 
lieutenant  lighted  with  joy,  and  when  a  little  later  the 
surgeon  told  him  he  had  but  a  moment  to  live,  he  answered 
with  the  confidence  of  a  little  child  and  with  his  latest 
breath,  "My  father  is  here." 

The  two  lads  cold  in  death  rested  almost  side  by  side  on 
their  funeral  biers  that  day — brothers  in  death,  brothers 


THE  SEVEN  FLAGS  OF  TEXAS.         297 

forever  in  the  memory  of  those  who  looked  upon  their 
calm  young  faces. 

In  the  remote  Southwest  Confederate  troops  aided  Ba- 
zaine's  French  forces  against  the  patriot  Mexicans,  who 
in  turn  raided  along  the  Kio  Grande  border,  under  Cor- 
tina's  lead. 

The  vast  influx  of  immigrants  and  capital,  and  the  de- 
velopment of  mines,  cattle-ranges  and  farms  have  raised 
Texas  to  the  proud  position  of  the  richest  state  in  the 
South.  Since  1880  it  has  far  passed  Kentucky  and  Vir- 
ginia, its  nearest  competitors.  A  single  county  in  the 
Pan  Handle,  which  had  but  twelve  families,  now  raises 
more  wheat  than  the  entire  state  did  at  that  time.  The 
immigration  has  come  mainly  from  the  older  Southern 
states,  left  prostrate  by  the  Civil  war,  and  finding  in  Texas 
the  most  promising  outlet  for  the  ambitions  of  their  young 
men.  Many  thousands  of  Frenchmen,  Poles,  Swedes, 
Germans  and  other  Europeans  have  entered  at  the  port 
of  Galveston,  and  great  numbers  of  Northwestern  farm- 
ers now  occupy  the  northern  counties. 

In  contrast  with  the  scenes  of  the  wars  that  are  over  is 
the  excellent  work  of  saving  lives  at  Galveston  during  the 
hurricane,  by  the  officers  and  crew  of  the  revenue  cutter 
"Galveston,"  which  was  stationed  at  that  port.  The  first 
mail  through  from  the  stricken  city  reached  Washington 
to-day  and  brought  two  letters  from  Chief  Engineer 
W.  S.  Whittaker  of  the  Galveston.  Under  date  of  Sun- 
day he  says : 

"All  the  sheds  on  the  wharves  have  been  leveled  to  the 
ground,  or  nearly  so.  I  do  not  think  there  is  a  house  that 
has  not  been  more  or  less  damaged  or  blown  to  the  ground. 
While  the  wind  was  blowing  over  sixty  miles  an,  hour  w$ 


298          TEE  SEVEN  FLAGS  OF  TEXAS. 

sent  out  a  boat  with  a  rescuing  party  to  row  up  one  of  the 
streets.  The  first  trip  they  succeeded  in  saving  thirteen 
women  and  children  and  brought  them  back  to  the  vessel 
in  safety. 

"It  was  useless  to  attempt  to  row  the  boat  against  the 
terrific  wind,  and,  as  the  water  was  at  that  time  not  over 
a  man's  head  in  the  streets,  a  rope  would  be  sent  out  to 
the  nearest  telegraph  pole  and  by  that  means  the  boat 
could  be  hauled  along  from  pole  to  pole.  This  was  accom- 
plished only  by  the  most  herculean  efforts  on  the  part  of 
the  men  who  led  out  the  rope,  but  between  swimming, 
walking  and  floundering  along  in  the  teeth  *of  the  gale 
the  rope  would  finally  be  made  fast. 

"Then  it  was  all  that  the  crew  of  one  officer  and  seven 
men  could  do  to  pull  the  boat  against  the  fierce  blasts  of 
the  cyclone.  By  working  all  Saturday  afternoon  and 
evening  and  up  to  1  o'clock  Sunday  morning,  the  brave 
boys  succeeded  in  rescuing  thirty-four  men,  women  and 
children,  whom  they  put  in  a  place  of  safety  and  provided 
them  with  enough  provisions  for  their  immediate  wants. 
Finally,  on  account  of  the  darkness,  the  increasing  violence 
of  the  storm  and  the  vast  amount  of  wreckage  in  the 
streets,  the  rescuing  party  was  reluctantly  compelled  to 
return  to  the  vessel. 

"On  board  the  ship  it  was  a  period  of  intense  anxiety 
for  all  hands.  No  one  slept  and  it  was  only  by  the  almost 
superhuman  efforts  of  the  officers  and  crew  that  we  rode 
out  the  hurricane  in  safety.  With  the  exceptions  of  the 
carrying  away  of  the  port  forward  rigging  and  the  smash- 
ing of  all  the  windows  and  stay  lights  the  vessel  sustained 
no  serious  injury.  !N"ot  a  single  person  on  board  was 
injured  in  any  way." 


THE  SEVEN  FLAGS  OF  TEXAS.          299 

Under  date  of  Tuesday,  two  days  after  the  storm  had 
spent  its  strength,  the  same  officer  writes:  "We  think 
there  have  been  5,000  lives  lost.  I  cannot  begin  to  tell 
the  number  of  houses  blown  down  or  damage  done.  Our 
new  distiller,  which  came  down  on  the  New  York  steamer, 
has  been  set  up  on  deck,  and  we  are  thus  enabled  to  relieve 
much  suffering  by  supplying  drinking  water  to  the  many 
who  call  on  us  for  relief.  We  have  also  furnished  as  much 
food  to  the  needy  as  we  can  possibly  spare." 


CHAPTEK   XX. 

TEMPESTS     THAT     AEE     HISTORIC. 

August  15,  1787,  there  occurred  in  Connecticut  a  wind 
"which  blew  in  a  circle  about  250  miles  in  diameter,"  of 
which  it  was  quaintly  said  that  it  "had  its  center  near 
Lake  George,"  and  "got  close  enough  to  the  earth  to  do 
damage  in  the  parish  of  New  Britain,  Connecticut."  It 
then  proceeded  in  a  northeasterly  direction  through  the 
southern  portion  of  the  parish  of  Newington,  then,  we 
quote  "The  Historic  Storm  of  New  England,"  over  Weth- 
ersfield,  East  Windsor,  Glastonbury,  Bolton,  Coventry, 
Thompson  (which  was  then  a  parish  of  Killingly),  Conn., 
then  over  Gloucester,  R.  I.,  continuing  its  course  over 
Mendon,  Eramingham,  Southboro,  Marlboro  and  Sun- 
bury,  Mass.,  into  New  Hampshire,  touching  at  Rochester, 
where  it  was  last  heard  from. 

If  the  reader  will  examine  the  map  of  New  England 
he  will  notice  that  the  line  of  the  cyclone  was  a  curve,  and 
not  a  straight  course,  like  that  in  which  tornadoes  blow. 
A  cloud  carried  along  by  the  wind  was  observed  about 
noon  on  that  day  in  the  northwest,  the  direction  of  Lake 
George.  Between  1  and  2  o'clock  it  had  arrived  at  the 
west  of  the  point  where  it  began  to  do  its  destructive  work 
in  New  England;  and  this  seems  to  be  additional  evi- 
dence that  this  was  a  cyclone. 

During  the  day  there  had  been  at  New  Britain,  Conn., 
quite  a  strong  breeze  from  the  south,  and  about  noon  a 
cloud  somewhat  similar  to  those  accompanying  violent 
thunder  showers,  unusually  black,  ranged  along  the  hori- 

300 


TEMPESTS. 

zon  from  the  north  to  the  west,  reaching  about  one-third 
up  to  the  zenith,  and  its  upper  edge  being  indented  and 
forming  irregular  columns,  like  pyramids.  It  was  dif- 
ferent from  the  common  thunder  cloud,  being  one  con- 
tinuous sheet  of  vapor  and  not  a  collection  of  small  clouds. 
This  cloud  was  seen  approaching  the  south  between  1 
and  2  o'clock.  People  on  high  hills  had  an  excellent  view 
of  it  as  it  came  toward  the  place  that  was  soon  to  be  the 
scene  of  its  desolation.  They  saw  a  column  of  black 
cloud,  about  thirty  rods  in  diameter,  reaching  from  the 
earth  to  the  cloud  above.  It  was  so  dense  that  the  eye 
could  not  penetrate  it,  and  it  appeared  luminous,  peals 
of  thunder  coming  from  it,  which  grew  louder  as  it  ad- 
vanced. It  whirled  along  with  great  force  and  rapidity, 
and  was  productive  of  an  awful  roar,  that  caused  feelings 
of  terror  to  arise  in  all  hearts.  The  cloud  sped  along  in 
a  majestic  manner,  as  though  sliding  on  an  unseen  plane, 
while  from  it  the  black  column  reached  down  its  horrible 
arm  and  touched  the  earth.  When  it  came  quite  near 
the  column  instantly  divided  horizontally  at  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  earth,  as  though  a  strong  wind  had  dashed 
it  asunder,  the  upper  part  of  it  appearing  to  rise,  and  the 
lower  to  spread  itself  to  the  extent  of  sixty  or  eighty  rods. 
In  a  moment  it  would  apparently  burst  from  the  ground 
like  the  thickest  smoke,  spread  the  above  named  distance 
on  its  surface,  then  instantly  whirl,  contracting  itself  to 
the  size  of  the  column  described,  and  lifting  its  head  to 
the  cloud,  being  charged  with  sections  of  fences,  huge 
limbs  of  trees,  boards,  bricks,  timbers,  shingles,  hay  and 
similar  articles,  which  were  continually  crashing  against 
each  other  in  the  air  or  falling  to  the  ground.  At  in- 
tervals of  different  lengths  the  column  performed  this 


302  HISTORICAL  TEMPESTS. 

movement.  But  seeming  to  disdain  to  stoop  towards  the 
earth  the  cloud  itself  sailed  grandly  along  on  its  errand 
of  desolation  and  death. 

The  cyclone  passed  over  New  England  at  about  3  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon.  Its  width  varied  from  twenty  to  one 
hundred  yards,  being  most  violent  at  the  narrower  places. 
In  some  portions  of  its  course  the  clouds  appeared 
luminous,  in  others  not,  and  sometimes  thunder  rolled  in 
its  midst.  In  Connecticut  only  a  few  large  drops  of 
water  fell,  but  in  Massachusetts  rain  descended  in  such 
quantities  that  large  tracks  of  low  land  were  inundated, 
causing  great  damage.  It  was  probably  not  true  rain, 
but  water  that  had  been  taken  up  bodily  from  the  streams 
and  ponds  over  which  the  cyclone  had  passed. 

The  wind  destroyed  all  before  it,  houses  barns  and  other 
buildings  being  utterly  shattered,  fields  of  Indian  corn 
and  flax  blown  away,  and  all  varieties  of  vegetables  swept 
even  with  the  ground.  A  great  many  stacks  of  hay  were 
scattered  over  the  country  for  miles,  much  of  it  being 
carried  into  the  woods  and  left  on  the  tops  of  trees.  Apple 
orchards,  whose  trees  were  bending  under  a  great  quantity 
of  ripening  fruit,  and  peach  and  pear  trees  were  torn  out 
by  the  roots  or  twisted  off  near  the  ground,  some  of  the 
largest  apple  trees  being  carried  many  rods.  Forest, 
timber  and  shade  trees  were  also  torn  up  by  the  roots,  or 
twisted  off  at  the  trunks,  and  carried  long  distances  with 
cartloads  of  earth  and  rocks  clinging  to  some  of  them,  be- 
ing dropped  in  field,  meadow  or  street.  Whole  groves  of 
fine  young  trees  were  utterly  destroyed.  The  toughest 
saplings  and  closest  pasture  white  oaks  were  twisted  off 
and  woven  together,  their  smaller  boughs  looking  as  if 
they  had  been  struck  upon  a  rock  many  times.  Fences 


HISTORICAL  TEMPESTS.  303 

and  stone  walls  were  leveled  in  all  parts  of  the  cyclone's 
track,  and  many  articles,  such  as  stones  and  logs,  weigh- 
ing several  hundred  pounds  were  lifted  into  the  air  and 
carried  to  other  places.  In  some  localities  the  column 
acted  like  a  plough,  tearing  the  sward  off  the  ground  to  a 
depth  of  from  four  to  six  inches,  as  it  did  at  Southborough, 
Mass.,  in  the  pasture  of  Lieutenant  Fay.  Strips  of  the 
sward  were  torn  off  several  yards  in  length  and  from 
two  to  four  feet  in  breadth.  There  were  no  trees,  bushes 
or  brakes  growing  upon  the  sod  upon  which  the  wind  could 
exert  its  strength  in  the  ordinary  manner,  nor  were  any 
trees  blown  across  the  place  that  could  plow  the  ground. 
The  evidence  clearly  shows  that  the  wind  itself  tore  the 
turf  from  the  underlying  strata  of  gravel.  Several  men 
were  standing  in  the  vicinity  of  the  pasture  when  the 
wind  passed,  and  noticed  that  a  heavy  undulating  sound, 
like  thunder  at  a  great  distance,  issued  from  the  column. 

The  Illustrated  American  of  June  17,  1898,  gives 
this  account  of  a  northwest  storm: 

The  terrible  cyclone  that  gathered  in  more  than  fifty 
victims  in  Wisconsin,  Minnesota,  Michigan  and  Illinois, 
was  of  much  larger  area  than  was  at  first  supposed.  The 
storm  was  the  most  severe,  however,  at  Stillman  Valley, 
near  Eockford,  111. 

The  wind  arose  from  the  southeast  on  the  evening  of 
May  18,  and  came  rushing  along  with  extraordinarily 
sudden  vehemence.  It  was  fully  400  feet  wide,  and 
leveled  everything  in  its  path,  even  destroying  objects 
that  lay  on  its  extreme  edge,  which  a  cyclone  usually  treats 
more  mercifully.  Hundreds  of  farm  houses  and  barns 
were  demolished,  rolling  over  in  the  face  of  the  wind  like 


304:  HISTORICAL  TEMPESTS. 

so  many  structures  of  cards,  and  hundreds  of  live  stock 
were  killed. 

A  train  on  the  "Soo"  railroad  in  Wisconsin  was  com- 
pelled to  turn  back  on  account  of  the  storm.  Several 
railroad  men  were  killed,  not  only  in  Wisconsin,  but  also 
on  the  same  line  in  Minnesota,  near  Duluth.  In  Pen- 
nington,  near  Duluth,  it  is  said  that  scarcely  a  building 
was  left  standing.  Southern  Michigan  was  also  touched 
by  the  wind  storm  on  its  way. 

Great  damage  was  done  in  Adeline,  many  buildings 
being  razed.  The  railroads  reported  many  washouts,  and 
telegraph  and  telephone  wires  were  badly  affected.  The 
list  of  dead  and  injured  was  as  follows :  Michael  Nelson, 
Stillman  Valley;  Mrs.  M.  N.  Nelson,  Stillman  Valley; 
a  baby  of  Mrs.  Nelson ;  Julia  Johnson,  Stillman  Valley ; 
William  Reese,  Marion  township ;  Thomas  Mullens,  Ade- 
line, 111. ;  three  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Mass, 
Foreston,  111.;  S.  Chantler,  Adeline,  111.;  Mrs.  Frank 
Chichelcer,  Paw  Paw. 

The  cyclone  passed  Wisconsin  from  west  to  east  across 
Pierce  and  Oneida  counties,  in  northern  Wisconsin.  The 
track  of  the  storm  extended  forty  miles  from  Brantwood, 
Pierce  county,  to  Pennington,  Oneida  county,  both  on  the 
Soo  railroad. 

The  Cornhill  Magazine  contained  the  following  ac- 
count of  the  Great  Storm  of  1703,  in  England : 

November  has  for  ages  been  properly  credited  with 
being  the  most  stormy  month  of  the  year  on  the  coast  of 
northwestern  Europe.  To  our  Saxon  forefathers  it  was 
known,  not  only  as  "Blot-monat,"  the  month  for  shedding 
the  blood  of  cattle  to  secure  a  stock  of  provisions  to  meet 
the  requirements  of  the  rapidly  approaching  winter,  but 


HISTORICAL  TEMPESTS.  305 

also  as  "Wint-monat,"  because  of  the  boisterous  winds 
which  marked  the  close  of  the  autumn. 

Numerous  instances  of  immense  loss  of  life  and  de- 
struction of  property  on  our  own  and  neighboring  coasts 
could  be  mentioned  as  having  been  occasioned  by  Novem- 
ber storms,  but  there  seems  to  be  but  one  storm  in  Eng- 
lish history  which  writers  have  agreed  to  consider  one 
of  the  great  events  of  our  island  story.  The  naval  and 
mercantile  fleets  of  European  nations  have  at  various 
times  suffered  terribly  in  those  awful  aerial  convulsions 
we  know  as  tropical  cyclones  or  typhoons,  but  overwhelm^ 
ing  disaster  in  such  far  distant  regions  as  the  West  Indies, 
China  Seas,  or  Samoa,  do  not  appeal  to  us  with  the  same 
force  as  would  similar  events  occurring  in  our  midst. 

On  the  night  of  November  26-27  (O.  S.),  1T03,  the 
southern  half  of  Britain  was  ravaged  by  a  tempest  which 
exhibited  the  worst  features  of  tropical  cyclones.  Whole 
forests  of  trees  are  said  to  have  been  uprooted ;  more  than 
a  dozen  men-of-war  were  wrecked ;  800  houses,  400  wind- 
mills, seven  church  steeples,  and  Eddystone  lighthouse 
blown  down;  the  lead  roofing  of  more  than  a  hundred 
churches  rolled  up;  and  houses  innumerable  unroofed,  so 
that  "at  London  upon  this  sad  occasion  the  wicked  huck- 
sters have  raised  the  price  of  tiles,  slates  and  bricks  to  an 
unreasonable  height,  and  both  materials  and  workmen  are 
wanting  for  the  repair  of  the  houses." 

Thousands  of  lives  were  lost,  the  Navy  Royal  losing 
at  least  1,500  men.  Bishop  Kichard  Kidder  (Ken's  suc- 
cessor to  the  See  of  Bath  and  Wells)  and  his  wife  were 
killed  by  the  collapse  of  a  portion  of  the  Episcopal  palace. 
Lady  Penlope  Nicholas,  the  Bishop  of  London's  sister, 
was  also  killed  at  Horsley,  Sussex.  Gilbert  White  refers 


306  HISTORICAL  TEMPESTS. 

to  it  as  the  "amazing  tempest"  which  overturned  at  once 
the  vast  oak  tree  which  stood  in  the  center  of  the  village 
of  Shelborne.  The  lowest  estimate  4  of  the  damage  in 
London  alone  was  a  million  sterling,  some  computations 
placing  it  at  two  millions  and  even  considerably  above  four 
million  sterling.  According  to  The  Observer  for  Decem- 
ber 1-4,  "never  was  such  a  storm  of  wind,  such  a  hurri- 
cane and  tempest  known  in  the  memory  of  man,  nor 
the  like  to  be  found  in  the  histories  of  England." 

Before  the  full  extent  of  the  destruction  was  known  the 
House  of  Commons,  on  December  1,  voted  an  address  to 
Queen  Anne  "expressing  the  great  sense  this  House  hath 
of  the  calamity  fallen  upon  the  kingdom  by  the  late  vio- 
lent storm/7  promising  to  grant  supplies  for  making  good 
the  serious  losses  of  the  Navy  Royal.  There  is  no  other 
instance  on  record  of  an  English  storm  being  the  occasion 
of  national  humiliation,  January  19,  1703-4  "being  ap- 
pointed a  general  and  public  fast,  to  be  observed  through- 
out the  Kingdom."  The  Lords  went  in  a  body  to 
Westminster  Abbey,  where  Talbot,  Bishop  of  Oxford,  had 
been  desired  to  preach,  and  the  Commons  attended  a 
similar  service  in  St.  Margaret's  Church,  with  Dr.  Gas- 
trell  as  the  preacher. 

It  is  to  DeFoe  we  are  indebted  for  most  of  the  infor- 
mation hitherto  published  about  this  frightful  visitation. 
The  author  of  Robinson  Crusoe  had  already  written  ail 
account  of  the  condition  of  London  during  the  Plague  of 
1665,  and  thinking  the  hurricane  an  equally  great  event, 
he  decided  to  hand  down  to  posterity  such  particulars  as 
could  be  obtained,  and  made  an  appeal  to  people  in  all 
parts  of  the  country  to  supply  him  with  local  details  of 
the  gale  and  its  consequences. 


HISTORICAL  TEMPESTS.  307 

Some  months  afterwards  he  published  a  work  on  "The 
Storm;  or,  A  Collection  of  the  Most  Remarkable  Casual- 
ties Which  Happen's  in  the  Late  Dreadful  Tempest,  Both 
by  Sea  and  Land."  The  first  part  of  the  book  is  made  up 
of  the  theories  then  current  as  to  the  cause  of  storms,  and 
a  review  of  previous  storms  mentioned  in  the  Scriptures 
and  elsewhere,  from  a  consideration  of  which  the  author 
arrived  at  the  conclusion  that  this  particular  storm  was 
"The  Greatest,  the  Longest  in  Duration,  the  Widest  in 
Extent  of  All  the  Tempests  and  Storms  That  History 
Gives  Any  Account  of  Since  the  Beginning  of  Time." 


CHAPTER   XXL 

THE     GEEAT     STOEM    TIT     ENGLAND. 

The  oceans  around  England  had  from  the  remotest 
times  the  reputation  of  being  stormy.  Julius  Casar  found 
it  so  when  he  crossed  the  famous  channel,  and  the  fate  of 
the  Spanish  Crusader  confirmed  the  old  story.  There  was 
a  storm  November  26,  1703,  that  has  ever  since  been 
the  Great  Storm.  It  was  very  good  of  Daniel  Defoe,  the 
author  of  "Robinson  Crusoe,"  to  be  the  historian  of  the 
Great  Storm,  and  to  tell  of  it  in  prose  and  poetry,  and  we 
proceed  to  quote  the  eminent  author.  His  volume  on  this 
strenuous  subject  was  entitled :  "The  Storm ;  or,  A  Col- 
lection of  the  Most  Remarkable  Casualties  and  Disasters 
Which  Happened  in  the  Late  Dreadful  Tempest  Both  by 
Sea  and  Land.  MDCCIV." 

I  shall  dive  no  further  into  that  mysterious  deluge, 
which  has  some  things  in  it  which  recommend  the  story 
rather  to  our  faith  than  demonstration. 

The  other  storm  I  find  in  the  Scripture  is  that  "God 
shall  rain  upon  the  wicked,  plagues,  fire  and  a  horrible 
tempest."  What  this  shall  be,  we  wait  to  know;  and 
happy  are  they  who  shall  be  secured  from  its  effects. 

Histories  are  full  of  instances  of  violent  tempests  and 
storms  in  sundry  particular  places.  What  that  was,  which, 
mingled  with  such  violent  lightnings,  set  the  cities  of 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah  on  fire,  remains  to  me  yet  unde- 
cided; nor  am  I  satisfied  the  effect  it  had  on  the  waters 
of  the  lake,  which  are  to  this  day  called  the  Dead  Sea,  are 
such  as  some  fabulous  authors  have  related,  and  as  trav- 
elers take  upon  them  to  say. 


STORM  IN  ENGLAND.  309 

I  am  not  of  the  opinion  with  the  early  ages  of  the 
world,  when  these  islands  (Great  Britain)  were  first 
known,  that  they  were  the  most  terrible  of  any  part  of  the 
world  for  storms  and  tempests. 

Camoden  tells  us,  the  Britons  were  distinguished  from 
all  the  world  by  impassable  seas  and  terrible  northern 
winds,  which  made  the  Albion  shores  dreadful  to  sailors ; 
and  this  part  of  the  world  was  therefore  reckoned  the  ut- 
most bounds  of  the  northern  known  land,  beyond  which 
none  had  ever  sailed ;  and  quotes  a  great  variety  of  ancient 
authors  to  this  purpose. 

It  had  blown  exceedingly  hard  for  about  fourteen  days 
past;  and  so  hard  that  we  thought  it  terrible  weather; 
several  stacks  of  chimneys  were  blown  down,  and  several 
ships  were  lost,  and  the  tiles  in  many  places  were  blown 
off  from  the  houses;  and  the  nearer  it  came  to  the  fatal 
26th  of  November,  the  tempestuousness  of  the  weather  in- 
creased. 

On  the  Wednesday  morning  before,  being  the  24th  of 
November,  it  was  fair  weather,  and  ble-~  hard;  but  not 
so  as  to  give  any  apprehensions,  till  about  four  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon  the  wind  increased,  and  with  squalls  of 
rain  and  terrible  gusts  blew  very  furiously. 

The  collector  of  these  sheets  narrowly  escaped  the  mis- 
chief of  a  part  of  a  house  which  fell  on  the  evening  of 
that  day  by  the  violence  of  the  wind;  and  abundance  of 
tiles  were  blown  off  the  houses  that  night;  the  wind  con- 
tinued with  unusual  violence  all  the  next  day  and  night, 
and  had  not  the  Great  Storm  followed  so  soon  this  had 
passed  for  a  great  wind. 

On  Friday  morning  it  continued  to  blow  exceeding 
hard,  but  not  so  as  that  it  gave  any  apprehensions  of  dan- 


310  STORM  IN  ENGLAND. 

ger  within  doors;  towards  night  it  increased;  and  about 
ten  o'clock,  our  barometers  informed  us  that  the  night 
would  be  very  tempestuous ;  the  mercury  sunk  lower  than 
ever  I  had  observed  it  on  any  occasion  whatsoever,  which 
made  me  suppose  the  tube  had  been  handled  and  disturbed 
by  the  children. 

But  as  my  observations  of  this  nature  are  not  regular 
enough  to  supply  the  reader  with  full  information,  the 
disorders  of  that  dreadful  night  have  found  me  other  em- 
ployment, expecting  every  moment  when  the  house  I  was 
in  would  bury  us  all  in  its  own  ruins ;  I  have  therefore  sub- 
joined a  letter  from  an  ingenious  gentleman  on  this  very 
head,  directed  to  the  Royal  Society,  and  printed  in  the 
Philosophical  Transactions,  E"o.  289,  p.  1530,  as  follows: 
'A  Letter  from  the  Reverend  Mr.  William  Derham, 

F.  R.  S.,  Containing  His  Observations  Concerning  the 

Late  Storm. 

Sir : — According  to  my  promise  at  the  general  meeting 
of  the  R.  S.  on  St.  Andrew's  day,  I  here  send  you  inclosed 
the  account  of  my  ingenious  and  inquisitive  friend,  Rich- 
ard Townley,  Esq.,  concerning  the  state  of  the  atmosphere 
in  that  part  of  Lancashire  where  he  liveth,  in  the  late  dis- 
mal storm.  And  I  hope  it  will  not  be  unacceptable,  to 
accompany  his  with  my  own  observations  at  Upminster, 
especially  since  I  shall  not  weary  you  with  a  long  history 
of  the  devastations,  etc.,  but  rather  some  particulars  of  a 
more  philosophical  consideration. 

And  first,  I  do  not  think  it  improper  to  look  back  to  the 
preceding  seasons  of  the  year.  I  scarce  believe  I  shall  go 
out  of  the  way  to  reflect  as  far  back  as  April,  May,  June 
and  July,  because  all  these  were  wet  months  in  our  south- 
ern parts.  In  April  there  fell  12.49  pounds  of  rain 


STORM  IN  ENGLAND.  311 

through  my  tunnel:  and  about  6,  7,  8  or  9  pounds  I  es- 
teem a  moderate  quantity  for  Upminster.  IH  May  there 
fell  more  than  in  any  month  of  any  year  since  the  year 
1696,  viz.,  20.77  pounds.  June  likewise  was  a  dripping 
month,  in  which  fell  14.55  pounds.  And  July,  although 
it  had  considerable  intermissions,  yet  had  14.19  pounds, 
above  11  pounds  of  which  fell  on  July  28th  and  29th  in 
violent  showers.  And  I  remember  the  newspapers  gave 
accounts  of  great  rains  that  month  from  divers  places 
in  Europe ;  but  the  north  of  England,  which  also  escaped 
the  violence  of  the  late  storm,  was  not  so  remarkably  wet 
in  any  of  these  months;  at  least  not  in  that  great  pro- 
portion more  than  we,  as  usually  they  are;  as  I  guess 
from  the  tables  of  rain  with  which  Mr,  Townley  hath 
favored  me.  Particularly  July  was  a  dry  month  with 
them,  there  being  no  more  than  3.65  pounds  of  rain  fell 
through  Mr.  Towneley's  tunnel  of  the  same  diameter  with 
mine. 

From  these  months  let  us  pass  to  September,  and  that 
we  shall  find  to  have  been  a  wet  month,  especially  the  lat- 
ter part  of  it;  there  fell  of  rain  in  that  month  14.86 
pounds. 

October  and  November  last,  although  not  remarkably 
wet,  yet  have  been  open,  warm  months  for  the  most  part. 
My  thermometer  (whose  freezing  point  is  about  84)  hath 
been  very  seldom  below  100  all  this  winter,  and  especially 
in  November. 

Thus  I  have  laid  before  you  as  short  account  as  I  could 
of  the  preceding  disposition  of  the  year,  particularly  as 
to  wet  and  warmth,  because  I  am  of  opinion  that  these 
had  a  great  influence  in  the  late  storm,  not  only  in  causing 
a  replention  of  vapors  in  the  atmosphere,  but  also  in  rais- 


312  STORM  IN  ENGLAND. 

ing  such  nitre-sulphureous  or  other  heterogeneous  mat- 
ter, which,  when  mixed  together,  might  make  a  sort  of 
explosion  (like  fired  gunpowder)  in  the  atmosphere.  And, 
from  this  explosion  I  judge  these  corruscations  or  flashes 
in  the  storm  to  have  proceeded,  which  most  people  as  well 
as  myself  observed,  and  which  some  took  for  lightning. 
But  these  things  I  leave  to  better  judgments,  such  as  that 
very  ingenious  member  of  our  society,  who  hath  under- 
taken the  province  of  the  late  tempest;  to  whom,  if  you 
please,  you  may  impart  these  papers;  Mr.  Halley,  you 
know,  I  mean. 

From  preliminaries  it  is  time  to  proceed  nearer  to  the 
tempest  itself.  And  the  foregoing  day,  viz.,  Thursday, 
November  25,  I  think  deserveth  regard.  In  the  morning 
of  that  day  was  a  little  rain,  the  winds  high  in  the  after- 
noon S.  b.  E.  and  S.  In  the  evening  there  was  lightning ; 
and  between  9  and  10  of  the  clock  at  night  a  violent  but 
short  storm  of  wind  and  much  rain  at  Upminster,  and  of 
hail  in  some  other  places  which  did  some  damage;  there 
fell  in  that  storm  1.65  pounds  of  rain.  The  next  morning, 
which  was  Friday,  November  26,  the  wind  was  S.S.W. 
and  high  all  day,  and  so  continued  until  I  was  in  bed  and 
asleep.  About  12  that  night,  the  storm  awakened  me, 
which  gradually  increased  till  near  3  that  morning;  and 
from  thence  till  near  1  it  continued  in  the  greatest  ex- 
cess: and  then  began  to  abate  and  the  mercury  to  rise 
swiftly.  The  barometer  I  found  at  12h.  -£  P.  M.  at  28.72, 
where  it  continued  till  about  6  the  next  morning,  OF  6J, 
then  hastily  rose,  so  that  it  was  gotten  to  82  about  8  of 
the  clock. 

How  the  wind  sat  during  the  late  storm  I  cannot  posi- 
tively say,  it  being  excessively  dark  all  the  while,  and  my 


STORM  IN  ENGLAND.  313 

vane  blown  down  also3  when  I  could  have  seen;  but  my 
information  from  millers  and  others  who  were  forced  to 
venture  abroad,  and  by  my  own  guess,  I  imagine  it  to 
have  blown  about  S.W.  by  S.,  or  nearer  to  the  S.  in  the 
beginning,  and  to  veer  about  towards  the  west  during  the 
end  of  the  storm,  as  far  as  W.S.W. 

The  degrees  of  the  wind's  strength  being  not  measura- 
ble (that  I  know  of,  though  talked  of)  but  by  guess,  I  thus 
determine,  with  respect  to  other  storms.  On  February  7, 
169  8-9,  was  a  terrible  storm  that  did  much  damage. 
This  I  number  10  degrees;  the  wind  then  W.N.W.  vid. 
Ph.  Tr.  No.  262.  .  Another  remarkable  storm  was  Febru- 
ary 3,  170J,  at  which  time  was  the  greatest  descent  of  the 
mercury  ever  known ;  this  I  number  9  degrees.  But  this 
last  of  November,  I  number  at  least  15  degrees. 

As  to  the  stations  of  the  barometer,  you  have  Mr.  Towne- 
ley's  and  mine.  As  to  November  17  (whereon  Mr.  Towne- 
ley  mentions  a  violent  storm  in  Oxfordshire)  it  was  a 
stormy  afternoon  here  at  Upminster,  accompanied  with 
rain,  but  not  violent,  nor  mercury  very  low.  November 
11  and  12,  had  both  higher  winds  and  more  rain,  and  the 
mercury  was  those  days  lower  than  even  in  the  last  storm 
of  November  26. 

Thus,  sir,  I  have  given  you  the  truest  account  I  can  of 
what  I  thought  most  to  deserve  observation,  both  before 
and  in  the  late  storm.  I  could  have  added  some  other 
particulars,  but  that  I  fear  I  have  already  made  my  letter 
long  and  am  tedious.  I  shall  therefore  only  add,  that  I 
have  accounts  of  the  storm  at  Norwich,  Beccles,  Sudbury, 
Colchester,  Rochford  and  several  other  intermediate 
places ;  but  I  need  not  tell  particulars,  because  I  question 
not  you  have  better  informations. 


314  STORM  IN  ENGLAND. 

It  did  not  blow  so  hard  till  12  o'clock  at  night,  but  that 
most  families  went  to  bed,  though  many  of  them  not  with- 
out some  concern  at  the  terrible  wind  which  then  blew. 
But  about  1,  or  at  least  by  2  o'clock,  'tis  supposed,  few  peo- 
ple that  were  capable  of  any  sense  of  danger  were  so 
hardy  as  to  lie  in  bed.  And  the  fury  of  the  tempest  in- 
creased to  such  a  degree  that,  as  the  editor  of  this  account 
being  in  London  and  conversing  with  the  people  the  next 
days,  understood,  most  people  expected  the  fall  of  their 
houses. 

And  yet,  in  this  general  apprehension,  nobody  durst 
quit  their  tottering  habitations ;  for,  whatever  the  danger 
was  within  doors,  it  was  worse  without.  The  bricks,  tiles, 
and  stones  from  the  tops  of  houses  flew  with  such  force 
and  so  thick  in  the  streets  that  no  one  thought  fit  to  venture 
out,  though  their  houses  were  near  demolished  within. 

The  author  of  this  relation  was  in  a  well  built  brick 
house  in  the  skirts  of  the  city,  and  a  stack  of  chimneys 
falling  in  upon  the  next  houses  gave  the  house  such  a  shock 
that  they  thought  it  was  just  coming  down  upon  their 
heads;  but  opening  the  door  to  attempt  an  escape  into  a 
garden,  the  danger  was  so  apparent  that  they  all  thought 
fit  to  surrender  to  the  disposal  of  Almighty  Providence, 
and  expect  their  graves  in  the  ruins  of  the  house  rather 
than  to  meet  most  certain  destruction  in  the  open  garden. 
For,  unless  they  could  have  gone  above  two  hundred  yards 
from  any  building,  there  had  been  no  security,  for  the 
force  of  the  wind  blew  the  tiles  point  blank,  though  their 
weight  inclines  them  downward,  and  in  several  very 
broad  streets  we  saw  the  windows  broken  by  the  flying 
tile-shreds  from  the  other  side,  and  where  there  was  room 
for  them  to  fly  the  author  of  this  has  seen  tiles  blown 


STORM  IN  ENGLAND.  315 

from  a  house  above  thirty  or  forty  yards,  and  stuck  from 
five  to  eight  inches  into  the  solid  earth.  Pieces  of  timber, 
iron  and  sheets  of  lead  have  from  higher  buildings  been 
blown  much  farther  as  in  the  particulars  hereafter  will 
appear. 

For  this  reason  I  can  not  venture  to  affirm  that  there 
was  any  such  thing  as  an  earthquake;  but  the  concern 
and  consternation  of  all  people  was  so  great  that  I  can 
not  wonder  at  their  imagining  several  things  which  were 
not,  any  more  than  their  enlarging  on  things  that  were, 
since  nothing  is  more  frequent  than  for  fear  to  double 
every  object,  and  impose  upon  the  understanding  strong 
apprehensions  being  apt  very  often  to  persuade  us  of  the 
reality  of  such  things  which  we  have  no  other  reasons  to 
show  for  the  probability  of  than  what  are  grounded  in 
those  fears  which  prevail  at  that  juncture. 

Others  thought  they  heard  it  thunder.  'Tis  confessed, 
the  wind,  by  its  unusual  violence,  made  such  a  noise  in 
the  air  as  had  a  resemblance  to  thunder,  and  it  was 
observed  the  roaring  had  a  voice  as  much  louder  than 
usual  as  the  fury  of  the  wind  was  greater  than  was  ever 
known.  The  noise  had  also  something  in  it  more  for- 
midable ;  it  sounded  aloft,  and  roared  not  very  much  un- 
like remote  thunder. 

And  yet,  though  I  can  not  remember  to  have  heard  it 
thunder,  or  that  I  saw  any  lightning,  or  heard  of  any  that 
did  in  or  near  London,  yet  in  the  country  the  air  was  seen 
full  of  meteors  and  vaporous  fires,  and  in  some  places 
both  thundering  and  unusual  flashes  of  lightning,  to  the 
great  terror  of  the  inhabitants. 

And  yet  I  can  not  but  observe  here  how  fearless  such 
people  as  are  addicted  to  wickedness,  are  both  of  God's 


316  STORM  IN  ENGLAND. 

judgments  and  uncommon  prodiges;  which  is  visible  in 
this  particular,  that  a  gang  of  hardened  rogues  assaulted 
a  family  at  Poplar,  in  the  very  height  of  the  storm,  broke 
into  the  house  and  robbed  them;  it  is  observable  that  the 
people  cried  thieves,  and  after  that  cried  fire  in  hopes 
to  raise  the  neighborhood  and  to  get  some  assistance,  but 
such  is  the  power  of  self-preservation,  and  such  was  the 
fear  the  minds  of  the  people  were  possessed  with,  that 
nobody  could  venture  out  to  the  assistance  of  the  dis- 
tressed family,  who  were  rifled  and  plundered  in  the 
middle  of  all  the  extremity  of  the  tempest. 

Together  with  the  violence  of  the  wind,  the  darkness  of 
the  night  added  to  the  terror  of  it ;  and  as  it  was  just  new 
moon,  the  spring  tides  being  then  up  at  about  4  o'clock, 
made  the  vessels  which  were  afloat  in  the  river  drive  the 
farther  up  upon  the  shore,  of  all  which,  in  the  process 
of  this  story,  we  shall  find  very  strange  instances. 

The  points  from  whence  the  wind  blew  are  variously 
reported  from  various  hands;  it  is  certain,  it  blew  all 
the  day  before  at  S.  W.,  and  I  thought  it  continued  so 
until  about  2  o'clock,  when,  as  near  as  I  could  judge  by  the 
impression  it  made  on  the  house,  for  we  durst  not  look 
out,  it  veered  to  the  S.  S.  W.,  then  to  the  W.,  and 
about  6  o'clock  to  W.  by  !N*.,  and  still  the  more  north- 
ward it  shifted  the  harder  it  blew,  till  it  shifted  again 
southerly  about  7  o'clock,  and  as  it  did  so  it  gradually 
abated. 

About  8  o'clock  in  the  morning  it  ceased  so  much  that 
our  fears  were  also  abated,  and  people  began  to  peep  out 
of  doors,  but  it  is  impossible  to  express  the  concern  that 
appeared  in  every  place ;  the  distraction  and  fury  of  the 
night  was  visible  in  the  faces  of  the  people,  and  every- 


STORM  IN  ENGLAND.  317 

body's  first  work  was  to  visit  and  inquire  after  friends 
and  relations.  The  next  day  or  two  was  almost  entirely 
spent  in  the  curiosity  of  the  people,  in  viewing  the  havoc 
the  storm  had  made,  which  was  so  universal  in  London, 
and  especially  in  the  out-parts,  that  nothing  can  be  said 
sufficient  to  describe  it. 

Another  unhappy  circumstance  with  which  the  disaster 
was  joined,  was  a  prodigious  tide,  which  happened  the 
next  day  but  one,  and  was  occasioned  by  the  fury  of  the 
wifids,  which  is  also  a  demonstration  that  the  winds  veered 
for  part  of  the  time  to  the  northward,  and  as  it  is  observ- 
able, and  known  by  all  that  understand  our  sea  affairs, 
that  a  northwest  wind  makes  the  highest  tide,  so  this  blow- 
ing to  the  northward  and  that  with  such  unusual  vio- 
lence, brought  up  the  sea  raging  in  such  a  manner  that 
in  some  parts  of  England  it  was  incredible,  the  water 
rising  six  or  eight  feet  higher  than  it  was  ever  known  to 
do  in  the  memory  of  man ;  by  which  ships  were  fleeted  up 
upon  the  firm  land  several  rods  off  from  the  banks,  and  an 
incredible  number  of  cattle  and  people  drowned;  as  in 
the  pursuit  of  this  story  it  will  appear. 

It  was  a  special  providence  that  so  directed  the  waters 
that  in  the  River  Thames  the  tide,  though  it  rose  higher 
than  usual,  yet  it  did  not  so  prodigiously  exceed;  but 
the  height  of  them  as  it  was  proved  very  prejudicial  to 
abundance  of  people  whose  cellars  and  warehouses  were 
near  the  river,  and  had  the  water  risen  a  foot  higher  all 
the  marshes  and  levels  on  both  sides  of  the  river  had  been 
overflowed  and  a  great  part  of  the  cattle  drowned. 

Though  the  storm  abated  with  the  rising  of  the  sun,  it 
still  blew  exceeding  hard;  so  hard  that  no  boats  durst 
stir  out  on  the  river  but  on  extraordinary  occasions,  and 


318  STORM  IN  ENGLAND. 

about  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  the  next  day,  being  Sat- 
urday, it  increased  again,  and  we  were  in  a  fresh  con- 
sternation, lest  it  should  return  with  the  same  violence. 
At  four  it  blew  an  extreme  storm,  with  sudden  gusts  as 
violent  as  any  time  of  the  night,  but  as  it  came  with  a 
great  black  cloud  and  some  thunder,  it  brought  a  hasty 
shower  of  rain  which  allayed  the  storm;  so  that  in  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  it  went  off,  and  only  continued  blowing 
as  before. 

This  sort  of  weather  held  all  Sabbath  day  and  Monday, 
till  on  Tuesday  afternoon  it  increased  again,  and  all  night 
it  blew  with  such  fury  that  many  families  were  afraid  to 
go  to  bed,  and  had  not  the  former  terrible  night  hardened 
the  people  to  all  things  less  than  itself,  this  night  would 
have  passed  for  a  storm  fit  to  have  been  noted  in  our 
almanacks.  Several  stacks  of  chimnies  that  stood  out  the 
Great  Storm  were  blown  down  in  this,  several  ships  which 
escaped  the  Great  Storm  perished  this  night,  and  several 
people  who  repaired  their  houses  had  them  untiled  again. 
Not  but  that  I  may  allow  those  chimnies  that  fell  now 
might  have  been  disabled  before. 

At  this  rate  it  held  blowing  till  Wednesday,  about  1 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  which  was  that  day  seven-night 
on  which  it  began,  so  that  it  might  be  called  one  continued 
storm  from  Wednesday  noon  to  Wednesday  noon. 

A  PASTOKAL  OCCASIONED  BY  THE  LATE 
VIOLENT  STOEM. 

Damon. — Walking  alone  by  pleasant  Iris'  side, 
Where  the  two  streams  their  wanton  course  divide, 
And  gently  forward  in  soft  murmurs  glide; 
Pensive  and  sad  I  Melibaeus  meet, 


STORM  IN  ENGLAND.  319 

'And  thus  the  melancholy  shepherd  greet : 
Kind  swain,  what  cloud  dares  overcast  your  brow, 
Bright  as  the  skies  o'er  happy  Nile  till  now ! 
Does  Chloe  prove  unkind,  or  some  new  fair  ? 

Melibaeus. — No,  Damon,  mine's  a  public,  nobler  care; 
Such  in  which  you  and  all  the  world  must  share. 
One  friend  may  mollify  another's  grief, 
But  public  loss  admits  of  no  relief. 

Dam. — I  guess  your  cause ;  O  you  that  used  to  sing 
Of  Beauty's  charms  and  the  delights  of  Spring; 
Now  change  your  note,  and  let  your  lute  rehearse 
The  dismal  tale  in  melancholy  verse. 

Mel. — Prepare  then,  lovely  swain;  prepare  to  Lear 
The  worst  report  that  ever  reached  your  ear. 
My  bower,  you  know,  hard  by  yon  shady  grove, 
A  fit  recess  for  Damon's  pensive  love : 
As  there  dissolved  I  in  sweet  slumbers  lay, 
Tired  with  the  toils  of  the  precedent  day, 
The  blustering  winds  disturbed  my  kind  repose, 
Till  frightened  with  the  threatening  blast  I  rose. 
But  O,  what  havoc  did  the  day  disclose ! 
Those  charming  willows  which  on  Cherwel's  banks 
Flourished,  and  thrived  and  grew  in  evener  ranks 
Than  those  which  followed  the  divine  command 
Of  Orpheus  lyre,  or  sweet  Amphion's  hand, 
By  hundreds  fall,  while  hardly  twenty  stand. 
The  stately  oaks  which  reached  the  azure  sky, 
And  kissed  the  very  clouds,  now  prostrate  lie. 
Long  a  huge  pine  did  with  the  winds  contend ; 
This  way,  and  that  his  reeling  trunk  they  bend, 
Till  forced  at  last  to  yield,  with  hideous  sound 
He  falls,  and  all  the  country  feels  the  wound. 


320  STORM  IN  ENGLAND. 

!N"or  was  the  God  of  winds  content  with  these ; 
Such  humble  victims  can't  his  wrath  appease : 
The  rivers  swell,  not  like  the  happy  Kile, 
To  fatten,  dew  and  fructify  our  Isle : 
But  like  the  deluge,  by  great  Jove  designed 
To  drown  the  universe  and  scourge  mankind. 
In  vain  the  frightened  cattle  climb  so  high, 
In  vain  for  refuge  to  the  hills  they  fly ; 
The  waters  know  no  limits  but  the  sky. 
So  now  the  bleating  flock  exchange  in  vain, 
For  barren  cliffs,  their  dewey  fertile  plain : 
In  vain,  their  fatal  destiny  to  shun, 
From  Severn's  banks  to  higher  grounds  they  run 
IsTor  has  the  navy  better  quarter  found : 
There  we've  received  our  worst,  our  deepest  wound. 
The  billows  swell,  and  haughty  Keptune  raves, 
The  winds  insulting  o'er  the  impetuous  waves. 
Thetis  incensed,  rises  with  angry  frown, 
And  once  more  threatens  all  the  world  to  drown, 
And  owns  no  Power,  but  England's  and  her  own. 
Yet  the  Aeolian  God  dares  vent  his  rage ; 
And  even  the  Sovereign  of  the  seas  engage : 
And  tho'  the  mighty  Charles  of  Spain's  on  board, 
The  winds  obey  none  but  their  blustering  Lord. 
Some  ships  are  stranded,  some  by  surges  rent, 
Down  with  their  cargoes  to  the  bottom  went. 
The  absorbent  ocean  could  desire  no  more; 
So  well  regal's  he  never  was  before. 
The  hungry  fish  could  hardly  wait  the  day, 
When  the  sun's  beams  should  chase  the  storm  away, 
But  quickly  seize  with  greedy  jaws  their  prey. 
Dam. — So  the  great  Trojan,  by  the  hand  of  fate, 


STORM  IN  ENGLAND.  321 

And  haughty  power  of  angry  Juno's  hate, 
While  with  like  aim  he  crossed  the  seas,  was  tost, 
From  shore  to  shore,  from  foreign  coast  to  coast : 
Yet  safe  at  last  his  mighty  point  he  gained ; 
In  charming  promised  peace  and  splendor  reigned. 

Mel. — So  may  great  Charles,  whom  equal  glories  move, 
Like  the  great  Dardan  prince  successful  prove: 
Like  him,  with  honor  may  he  mount  the  throne, 
And  long  enjoy  a  brighter  destined  crown. 

GOOD  WOEDS. 

The  country  was  in  many  places  devastated  by  the  un- 
usual height  to  which  the  tide  rose.  At  Cardiff  and  other 
parts  in  the  Bristol  Channel  large  portions  of  the  seacoast 
were  submerged.  Nor  must  we  forget  to  mention  that  it 
was  in  this  tempest  that  the  Eddystone  Lighthouse  was  de- 
stroyed, involving  the  loss  of  Mr.  Winstanley,  the  engineer, 
who  had  often  bidden  defiance  to  the  winds  and  waves  to  do 
their  worst  against  his  strangely  constructed  lighthouse; 
or,  as  finely  expressed  in  the  "Hunchback" — 

"The  engineer 

Who  lays  the  last  stone  of  his  sea-built  tower, 
It  cost  him  years  and  years  of  toil  to  raise, 
And  smiling  at  it,  tells  the  winds  and  waves 
To  roar  and  whistle  now ;  but  ere  a  night 
Beholds  the  tempest  sporting  in  its  place." 

What  an  awful  time  must  poor  Winstanley  have  passed 
in  what  he  called  his  "very  fine  bedchamber,  richly  gilded 
and  painted,"  ere  the  wind  and  the  towering  billows  swept 
his  frail  structure  from  the  rocks !  Smeaton's  account  of 
the  affair  is  too  interesting  to  be  omitted : 


322  STORM  IN  ENGLAND. 

"Except  the  above,  I  have  met  with  no  occurrences  con- 
cerning this  building,  till  November,  1703,  when  the  fab- 
ric needing  some  repairs,  Mr.  Winstanley  went  down  to 
Plymouth  to  superintend  the  performance  of  the  roof ;  and 
we  must  not  wonder  if  from  the  preceding  accounts  of 
the  violence  of  the  seas  and  the  structure  of  the  lighthouse, 
the  common  sense  of  the  public  led  them  to  suppose  this 
building  would  not  be  of  long  duration;  and  the  follow- 
ing is  an  anecdote  received  to  the  same  effeet  from  so 
many  persons  that  I  can  have  no  doubt  of  the  truth  of  it. 

"Mr.  Winstanley  being  amongst  his  friends,  previous  to 
going  off  with  his  workmen  on  account  of  these  reparations, 
the  danger  being  intimated  to  him,  and  that  one  day  or 
other  the  lighthouse  would  be  entirely  overset,  he  replied : 
'He  was  so  very  well  assured  of  the  strength  of  his  build- 
ing he  should  only  wish  to  be  there  in  the  greatest  storm 
that  ever  blew  under  the  face  of  the  heavens,  that  he  might 
see  what  effect  it  would  have  upon  the  structure.'  It  hap- 
pened that  Mr.  Winstanley  was  but  too  amply  gratified, 
for  while  he  was  there  with  his  workmen  and  lightkeep- 
ers,  that  dreadful  storm  began  which  raged  the  most 
fiercely  upon  the  26th  of  November,  1703,  in  the  night; 
and  of  all  the  accounts  of  the  kind  which  history  furnishes 
•us  with,  we  have  none  that  exceeded  this  in  Great  Britain^ 
or  was  more  injurious  or  extensive  in  its  devastation. 

"The  next  morning,  November  27th,  when  the  violence 
of  the  storm  was  so  much  abated  that  it  could  be  seen 
whether  the  lighthouse  had  suffered  by  it,  nothing  ap- 
peared standing  but,  upon  a  nearer  inspection,  some  of  the 
large  irons  whereby  the  work  was  fixed  upon  the  rock; 
nor  were  any  of  the  people,  or  any  of  the  materials  of  the 
building  ever  found  afterwards,  save  only  part  of  an  iron 


STORM  IN  ENGLAND.  323 

chain  which  got  so  fast  jammed  into  the  chink  of  the  rock 
that  it  could  never  afterwards  be  disengaged  till  it  was 
cut  out  in  the  year  1756.  The  above  account  is  what  I  re- 
ceived from  old  people  at  Plymouth." 

In  the  account  of  the  storm,  published  by  Defoe  in  1704, 
it  is  stated  1  "It  was  very  remarkable  that,  as  we  are  in- 
formed, at  the  same  time  the  lighthouse  abovesaid  was 
blown  down,  the  model  of  it  in  Mr.  Winstanley's  house  at 
Littlebury,  in  Essex,  above  two  hundred  miles  from  the 
lighthouse,  fell  down  and  was  broke  to  pieces." 

Passing  by  other  remarkable  storms  since  1703  (of  one 
of  which  a  curious  account  is  given,  along  with  a  map,  en- 
titled The  Passage  of  the  Hurricane  from  the  Seaside  at 
Bexhill  in  Sussex,  to  Newington  Level,  on  the  20th  of 
May,  1729)  we  may  come  to  the  year  1783,  commemorated 
by  Cowper  in  his  "Task."  This  was  a  remarkable  and  por- 
tentous kind  of  year.  During  a  large  portion  of  the  sum- 
mer a  fog  prevailed  in  various  parts  of  Europe,  which  gave 
the  sun  a  dull  red  appearance,  such  as  the  fogs  of  winter 
sometimes  produce.  In  the  earlier  part  of  the  year  oc- 
curred the  succession  of  earthquakes  which  laid  waste  Cal- 
abria. In  August  and  October  there  were  some  remark- 
able meteoric  phenomena,  which  were  seen  all  over  Great 
Britain,  as  well  as  on  the  Continent.  Some  parts  of  Eng- 
land were  visited  by  an  untimely  frost,  in  the  month  of 
June,  as  described  by  Sir  John  Cullum  in  the  "Philosoph- 
ical Transactions."  Cowper  thus  alludes  to  these  things 
in  the  second  book  of  the  "Task :" 

"Sure  there  is  need  of  social  intercourse, 
Benevolence,  and  peace  and  mutual  aid, 
Between  the  nations,  in  a  world  that  seems 


324  STORM  IN  ENGLAND. 

To  toll  the  death-bell  of  its  own  decease, 
And,  by  the  voice  of  all  the  elements 
To  preach  the  general  doom.    When  are  the  winds 
Let  slip  with  such  a  warrant  to  destroy  ? 
When  did  the  waves  so  haughtily  o'erleap 
Their  ancient  barriers,  deluging  the  dry  ? 
Fires  from  beneath,  and  meteors  from  above, 
Portentous,  unexampled,  unexplained, 
Have  kindled  beacons  in  the  skies ;  and  th'  old 
'And  crazy  earth  has  had  her  shaking  fits 
More  frequent,  and  foregone  her  usual  rest." 

Toward  the  end  of  July,  beginning  of  August,  and  in 
the  month  of  September,  1797,  there  was  a  succession  of 
thunder  and  other  storms,  accompanied  by  violent  rains, 
which  fell  all  over  Great  Britain,  and  caused  considerable 
damage.  Again,  under  September  12,  1798,  the  editor  of 
the  Gentleman's  Magazine  says :  "The  storm  of  last  night 
was  as  tremendous  as  any  remembered  by  the  oldest  man 
living." 

Another  great  storm,  not  the  storm  of  1703,  occurred, 
or,  rather  its  worst  effects  were  experienced,  on  October  10, 
1780.  Generated  probably  in  mid-Atlantic,  not  far  from 
the  equator,  it  was  first  felt  in  Barbadoes,  where  trees  and 
houses  were  blown  down.  Captain  Maury,  in  his  Physi- 
cal Geography  of  the  Sea,  gives  a  rather  exaggerated  ac- 
count of  the  effects  produced  by  this  storm  in  tke  Barba- 
does, apparently  from  memory,  some  of  the  details  being 
like,  but  not  quite  the  same  as  those  actually  recorded.  He 
says :  aThe  bark  was  blown  from  the  trees,  and  the  fruits 
of  the  earth  were  destroyed ;  the  very  bottom  and  depths  of 
the  sea  were  uprooted — forts  and  castles  were  washed 


STORM  IN  ENGLAND.  325 

away,  and  their  great  guns  carried  in  the  air  like  chaff. " 
The  bark  of  trees  was  removed,  but  it  is  believed  rather 
through  the  effects  of  electrical  action  than  by  the  power 
of  the  wind.  Cannon,  also,  were  driven  along  the  batteries 
and  flung  over  into  the  fosse,  but  not  "carried  in  the  air 
like  chaff."  At  Martinique  the  storm  overtook  a  French 
transport  fleet,  and  entirely  destroyed  it.  There  were 
forty  vessels,  conveying  4,000  soldiers,  and  the  Governor 
of  Martinique  reported  their  fate  to  the  French  Govern- 
ment in  three  words — "The  vessels  disappeared."  Nine 
thousand  persons  .perished  at  Martinique  and  1,000  at  St. 
Pierre,  where  not  a  house  was  left  standing.  St.  Domingo, 
St.  Vincent,  St.  Eustache  and  Porto  Eico  were  next  visited 
and  devastated,  while  scarcely  a  single  vessel  near  this  part 
of  the  cyclone's  track  was  afloat  on  October  llth.  At  Port 
Royal  the  Cathedral,  seven  churches  and  1,400  houses 
were  blown  down,  and  1,600  sick  and  wounded  persons 
were  buried  beneath  the  ruins  of  the  hospital.  At  the  Ber- 
mudas, fifty  British  ships  were  driven  ashore,  two  line-of- 
battle  ships  went  down  at  sea,  and  22,000  persons  perished. 
Perhaps  the  most  remarkable  effects  of  the  storm  in  this 
portion  of  its  course  were  those  experienced  in  the  Lee- 
ward Isles.  The  hurricane  drove  a  twelve-pounder  can- 
non a  distance  of  400  feet.  Those  who  lived  in  the  Gov- 
ernment building  took  refuge  in  the  central  part,  where 
circular  walls,  nearly  a  yard  thick,  seemed  to  afford  prom- 
ise of  safety.  But  at  half -past  eleven  the  wind  had  broken 
down  parts  of  these  walls,  and  lifted  off  the  roof.  Terri- 
fied, they  sought  refuge  in  the  cellarage,  but  before  long 
the  water  had  risen  there  to  the  height  of  more  than  a  yard, 
and  they  were  driven  into  the  battery,  where  they  placed 
themselves  behind  the  heavier  cannons,  some  of  which  were 


326  STORM  IN  ENGLAND. 

driven  from  their  place  by  the  force  of  the  wind.  When 
the  day  broke  the  country  looked  as  if  it  had  been  blasted 
by  fire;  not  a  leaf,  scarce  even  a  branch,  remained  upon 
the  trees. 

As  in  great  floods  a  common  terror  preserves  peace 
among  animals,  which  usually  war  upon  each  other,  so 
during  the  Great  Storm  human  passions  were  for  the  time 
quelled  by  the  fiercer  war  of  the  elements.  Among  the 
ships  destroyed  at  Martinique  were  two  English  war-ships. 
Twenty-five  sailors  who  survived  surrendered  themselves 
prisoners  to  the  Marquis  of  Bouille,  the  Governor  of  the 
island.  But  he  sent  them  to  St.  Lucie,  writing  to  the 
English  Governor  of  that  island  that  he  "was  unwilling  to 
retain  as  prisoners  men  who  had  fallen  into  his  hands 
during  a  disaster  from  which  so  many  had  suffered." 

The  Great  Storm  of  1780  must  not  be  confounded  with 
the  storm  remembered  for  so  many  years  in  Great  Britain 
as  the  Great  Storm.  The  latter  occurred  on  November  26, 
1703,  and  its  worst  effects  were  experienced  not  as  usual  in 
the  tropics,  but  in  Western  Europe.  The  reader  will  re- 
member Macaulay's  reference  to  it  in  his  essay  on  the 
"Life  and  Writings  of  Addison."  In  his  famous  poem, 
"The  Campaign,"  Addison  had  compared  Marlborough  to 
an  angel  guiding  the  whirlwind.  "We  must  point  out," 
writes  Macaulay,  "one  circumstance  which  appears  to  have 
escaped  all  critics.  The  extraordinary  effect  which  this 
simile  produced  when  it  first  appeared,  and  which  to  the 
following  generation  appeared  inexplicable,  is  doubtless  to 
be  attributed  to  a  line  which  most  readers  now  regard  as  a 
feeble  parenthesis — 

"Such  as,  of  late,  o'er  pale  Britannia  passed." 


STORM  IN  ENGLAND.  327 

Addison  spoke,  not  of  a  storm,  but  of  the  storm.  "The 
great  tempest  of  November,  1703,  the  only  tempest  which 
in  our  latitude  has  equaled  the  rage  of  a  tropical  hurri- 
cane, had  left  a  dreadful  recollection  in  the  minds  of  all 
men.  No  other  tempest  was  ever  in  this  country  the  occa- 
sion of  a  parliamentary  address  or  a  public  fast.  Whole 
fleets  had  been  cast  away.  Large  mansions  had  been  blown 
down.  One  prelate  had  been  buried  beneath  the  ruins  of 
his  palace.  London  and  Bristol  had  presented  the  appear- 
ance of  cities  just  sacked.  Hundreds  of  families  were 
still  in  mourning.  The  prostrate  trunks  of  large  trees,  and 
the  ruins  of  houses  still  attested,  in  all  the  southern  coun- 
tries, the  fury  of  the  blast."  He  strangely  omits  to  men- 
tion one  of  the  most  striking  events  connected  with  this  ter- 
rible storm — the  destruction  of  the  Eddystone  lighthouse. 

It  is  probable  that  the  Great  Storm  of  1703  owed  its  de- 
structiveness  to  the  narrow  range  over  which  its  track  ex- 
tended. As  a  storm  widens  in  extent  it  loses  power,  much 
as  a  river  flows  more  sluggishly  where  its  stream  widens 
than  where  it  has  to  make  its  way  along  a  narrow  channel. 
It  is  for  this  reason  that  certain  regions  suffer  more  from 
storms  than  others.  Thus  in  the  West  Indies,  that  great 
storm-breeder,  the  Gulf  Stream  is  at  its  narrowest.  Here, 
therefore,  the  whirling  storms,  generated  by  the  rush 
toward  the  channel  of  rare  and  warm  air  above  the  Gulf 
Stream  attain  their  greatest  intensity,  and  have  worked 
most  terrible  destruction.  The  Great  Storm  of  1870  af- 
fords an  illustration,  but  many  others  might  be  cited. 
Flammarian  relates  that  "at  Guadaloupe,  on  July  25, 
1825,  solidly  constructed  houses  were  demolished,  and  a 
new  building  belonging  to  the  State,  had  one  wing  com- 
pletely blown  down.  The  wind  had  imparted  such  a  rate 


328  STORM  IN  ENGLAND. 

of  speed  to  the  tiles  that  many  of  them  penetrated  through 
thick  doors.  A  piece  of  deal  39  inches  long  10  inches  wide 
and  nearly  one  inch  thick,  moved  through  the  air  so  rap- 
idly that  it  went  right  through  a  palm  tree  18  inches  in 
diameter.  A  piece  of  wood  about  18  inches  wide  and  4  or 
5  yards  long,  projected  by  the  wind  along  a  hard  road,  was. 
driven  a  yard  deep  into  the  ground.  A  large  iron  railing 
in  front  of  the  Governor's  palace  was  shattered  to  pieces. 
A  quantity  of  the  debris  from  Guadaloupe  was  carried  to 
Montserrat,  over  an  arm  of  the  sea  50  miles  wide.  Three 
twenty-four-pounders  were  blown  from  one  end  of  the  bat- 
tery to  the  other.  The  vessels  which  were  in  the  harbor  of 
Basseterre  disappeared,  and  one  of  the  captains,  who  had 
escaped  said  that  his  ship  was  lifted  by  the  hurricane  out 
of  the  sea,  and  was,  so  to  speak,  shipwrecked  in  the  air. 
The  last  mentioned  event  is,  however,  'rather  a  large 
order/  as  our  American  cousins  would  say ;  probably  that 
captain  was  too  confused  by  the  turmoil  going  on  all 
around  him  when  his  ship  was  destroyed  to  note  with  strict 
scientific  accuracy  what  took  place.  Ships  have  been  car- 
ried by  the  force  of  a  gale  upon  the  crest  of  a  high  roller, 
and  have  acquired  such  velocity  that  they  have  been  flung 
some  distance  beyond  the  range  reached  by  the  wave  itself. 
Thus  in  1861  an  Antigua  was  carried  out  of  the  water  to  a 
point  ten  feet  above  the  highest  known  tide.  But  nothing, 
we  believe  has  ever  yet  happened  to  a  ship,  even  during 
the  fiercest  hurricane  which  could  properly  be  described  in 
the  words  used  by  the  Basseterre  captain.  His  descrip- 
tion probably  bore  the  same  relation  to  fact  as  Maury's  ac- 
count of  'great  guns  carried  in  the  air  like  chaff.'  Prob- 
ably when  a  storm  really  blows  great  guns  this  way,  it  may 


STORM  IN  ENGLAND.  329 

lift  ships  out  of  the  sea  and  shipwreck  them  in  the  air ;  hut 
'in  such  a'  when  'we  write  a  never.'  ' 

A  remarkable  illustration  of  the  terribly  sudden  nature 
of  the  disaster  is  afforded  by  the  experience  of  Mr.  Hig- 
gins,  the  Inspecting  Postmaster  at  Noakolly.  On  the  night 
of  October  31st  he  was  in  his  traveling  barge,  in  a  creek 
near  Noakolly,  about  ten  miles  from  the  River  Megna.  N  He 
had  gone  to  bed  at  eleven  without  any  fear  or  anxiety  what- 
ever. His  boatman  had  gone  on  shore,  but  four  native 
servants  were  with  him  on  board.  Shortly  before  mid- 
night he  was  awakened  by  a  cry  of  "The  waters  are  up !" 
Jumping  up  he  looked  out,  and  saw  a  high  wave,  with  its 
crest  top  gleaming  in  the  starlight ;  it  seemed  like  a  flash ; 
in  an  instant  his  boats  were  rising  on  high ;  he  fastened  on 
a  life-belt  in  a  few  moments ;  another  wave  came  rolling 
on,  and  the  barge  capsized ;  he  paddled  around  in  the  water 
all  the  rest  of  the  night  with  the  help  of  the  life  belt ;  the 
native  servants  clung  to  spars.  Three  were  saved  and  one 
was  lost.  The  water  felt  warm  to  the  body,  but  the  air 
was  bitterly  cold  to  the  head  or  hands  above  the  surface. 

The  total  destruction  of  life  probably  surpassed  any 
which  has  been  produced  in  the  same  space  of  time  since 
the  world  was  peopled.  Sir  Richard  Temple,  after  a  per- 
sonal inspection  of  the  afflicted  districts,  came  to  the  con- 
clusion that  not  less  than  215,000  persons  lost  their  lives. 
He  distributes  the  fatality  as  follows :  Backergunge,  with 
the  island  of  Dakhan  Shabazpore,  possessing  a  population 
of  437,000,  has  lost  about  a  fourth  of  -that  number ;  Noak- 
olly,  with  a  population  of  403,000,  has  lost  90,000 ;  and 
Chittagong,  with  a  population  of  222,000,  has  lost  20,000. 
So  that,  out  of  a  total  population  of  1,062,000  persons, 
more  than  one-fifth  have  perished.  To  this  terrible  human 


330  STORM  IN  ENGLAND. 

mortality  must  be  added  a  tremendous  destruction  of  ani- 
mal life,  which,  as  Sir  Kichard  Temple  remarks,  "though 
it  may  not  be  felt  acutely  at  the  present  moment,  will  form 
a  serious  obstacle  to  agricultural  operations  by  the  sur- 
vivors a  few  months  hence."  "Well  may  the  Government 
of  India,"  remarks  the  Bombay  Gazette,  "express  the  opin- 
ion that  the  calamity  is  scarcely  paralleled  in  the  annals  of 
history."  It  will  take  many  years  before  the  afflicted  dis- 
tricts will  be  able  to  recover  from  its  effects,  and  it  will  be 
a  landmark  in  the  history  of  even  this  country  of  great 
calamities.  The  swiftness  of  the  calamity  must  have  been 
terrific,  and  one  may  almost  gather  from  Sir  Eichard  Tem- 
ple's minute  that  the  great  waves  literally  flashed  out  over 
the  land,  and  that  simultaneously  the  vast  destruction  of 
life  was  completed.  *  *  *  When  the  sun  rose  next 
morning,  it  shone  upon  a  desolate  country  and  a  shivering 
terror-stricken  band  of  survivors,  who  were  not  yet  able  to 
realize  what  kind  of  a  calamity  it  was  that  had  over- 
whelmed them  so  suddenly  in  the  darkness.  Many  had 
been  snatched  from  imminent  death  in  wonderful  ways; 
some  had  been  able  to  catch  hold  instinctively  to  a  friendly 
piece  of  wood  floating  past  them,  and  many  had  been  swept 
into  trees,  where  they  were  held  tightly  by  the  thorns  and 
branches  until  the  waters  had  subsided.  Villagers  were  as- 
tonished with  the  appearance  of  the  corpses  of  strangers 
in  the  midst  of  their  villages,  and  it  was  not  until  the 
extend  of  the  calamity  became  widely  known  that  it  was 
found  there  were  few  homesteads  or  villages  that  had  not 
had  dead  bodies  washed  into  them  from  a  distance. 

The  cyclone  is  simply  a  whirlwind  on  a  large  scale. 
What  we  have  said  respecting  the  destructiveness  of 
cyclones  varying  inversely  with  their  range  must  notj  of 


STORM  IN  ENGLAND.  331 

course,  be  understood  to  signify  that  a  large  cyclone  is 
necessarily  less  destructive  than  a  small  one,  or  a  smaM 
cyclone  less  destructive  than  a  whirlwind.  We  there 
referred  to  the  same  cyclone.  As  a  cyclone  contracts 
it  circles  more  swiftly,  and  becomes  more  destructive ;  as  it 
expands  it  loses  power.  But  it  is  the  contraction  of  a  large 
cyclone  that  produces  the  most  terrible  effects.  A  cyclone 
which  is  small  when  first  formed  can  only  become  de- 
structive by  contracting  till  it  is  yet  smaller,  and  then,  of 
course,  the  range  of  its  destructive  action  is  limited  to  a 
narrow  track.  Some  cyclones  have  been  so  small  that  when 
they  have  so  narrowed  as  to  work  mischief  their  track  has 
been  a  mere  lane  compared  with  the  broad  highways  of 
destruction  traversed  by  their  larger  brethren.  Such  are 
the  cyclonic  storms  generated  in  the  valley  of  the  Missis- 
sippi. A  large  river  may  be  compared  to  an  ocean-current 
as  a  storm-breeder,  but,  being  much  narrower,  the  cyclonic 
storms  generated  by  a  river  are  much  more  limited  in  ex- 
tent. "The  track  of  these  tornadoes,"  says  Maury,  "is 
called  a  'windroad'  because  they  make  an  avenue  through 
the  woods,  straight  along,  as  clear  of  trees  as  if  the  old 
denizens  of  the  forest  had  been  cleared  away  with  an  axe. 
I  have  seen  these  trees,  three  or  four  feet  in  diameter,  torn 
up  by  the  roots,  and  the  top  with  its  limbs  lying  next  the 
hole  whence  the  root  came." 

Fortunately,  it  happens  not  unf  requently  that  the  chief 
fury  of  these  whirlwinds  is  expended  in  the  upper  air. 
Indeed,  very  often,  terrible  storms  are  raging  high  up  in 
the  air,  as  can  be  seen  by  the  behavior  of  the  fleecy  clouds, 
when  it  is  calm  or  but  a  slight  breeze  blowing  at  the  sur- 
face. The  upper  parts  of  forest  trees  have  been  torn  off 
while  the  lower  branches  have  scarcely  moved,  and  houses 
placed  on  a  hill  have  been  wrecked  while  others  in  a  valley 


332  STORM  IN  ENGLAND. 

scarce  a  hundred  feet  lower  have  not  suffered  at  all.  Jame- 
son thus  describes  the  progress  of  a  storm  in  the  valley  of 
the  Ohio :  "I  heard  a  distant  murmuring  sound  of  an  ex- 
traordinary nature.  As  I  rose  to  my  feet  and  looked 
toward  the  southwest,  I  observed  a  yellowish  oval  spot, 
the  appearance  of  which  was  quite  new  to  me.  Little  time 
was  left  me  for  consideration,  as  the  next  moment  a  smart 
breeze  began  to  agitate  the  smaller  trees.  It  increased  to 
an  unexpected  degree,  and  already  the  smaller  branches  and 
twigs  were  seen  falling  in  a  slanting  direction  toward  the 
ground.  Two  minutes  had  scarcely  elapsed  when  the  whole 
forest  before  me  was  in  fearful  motion.  Turning  in- 
stinctively toward  the  direction  from  which  the  wind  blew 
I  saw,  to  my  great  astonishment,  that  the  noblest  trees  of 
the  forest  bent  their  lofty  heads  for  a  while,  and,  unable  to 
stand  against  the  blast,  were  falling  into  pieces.  First  the 
branches  were  broken  off  with  a  crackling  noise,  then  went 
the  upper  parts  of  the  massy  trunks,  and  in  many  places 
whole  trees  of  gigantic  size  were  falling  entire  to  the 
ground.  So  rapid  was  the  progress  of  the  storm  that,  be- 
fore I  could  think  of  taking  measures  to  insure  my  safety, 
the  hurricane  was  passing  opposite  to  the  place  where  I 
stood.  !Never  can  I  forget  the  scene  which  at  that  moment 
presented  itself.  The  tops  of  the  trees  were  seen  moving 
in  the  strangest  manner  in  the  central  current  of  the  tem- 
pest, which  carried  along  with  it  a  mingled  mass  of  twigs 
and  foliage  that  completely  obscured  the  view.  Some  of 
the  largest  trees  were  seen  bending  and  writhing  under  the 
gale,  others  suddenly  snapped  across,  and  many,  after  a 
momentary  resistance,  fell  uprooted  to  the  earth.  The 
mass  of  twigs,  branches,  foliage,  dust  that  moved  through 
the  air  was  whirling  onward  like  a  cloud  of  feathers,  and 
on  passing  disclosed  a  wide  space  filled  with  broken  trees, 


STORM  IN  ENGLAND.  333 

naked  stumps  and  heaps  of  shapeless  ruins,  which  marked 
the  path  of  the  tempest.  This  space  was  about  one-fourth 
of  a  mile  in  breadth,  and  to  my  imagination  resembled  the 
dried-up  bed  of  the  Mississippi,  with  its  thousands  of 
snags  and  sawyers  strewed  in  the  sand  and  inclined  in  vari- 
ous degrees.  The  horrible  noise  resembled  that  of  the 
great  cataract  of  Niagara,  and,  as  it  howled  along  the 
track  of  the  desolating  tempest,  produced  a  feeling  in  my 
mind  which  it  were  impossible  to  describe.  The  principal 
force  of  the  hurricane  was  now  over,  although  millions  of 
twigs  and  small  branches  that  had  been  brought  from  a 
great  distance  were  seen  following  the  blast  as  if  drawn 
onward  by  some  mysterious  power.  They  even  floated  in 
the  air  for  some  hours  after."  After  crossing  the  track  of 
the  storm  to  his  own  house,  which  stood  close  by,  he  found 
to  his  surprise  "that  there  had  been  little  wind  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, although  in  the  streets  and  gardens  many  twigs 
and  branches  had  fallen  in  a  manner  which  excited  great 
surprise." 

When  whirlwinds  such  as  these  occur  in  more  thickly 
peopled  regions,  effects  as  terrible  as  those  produced  by  a 
cyclone  are  sometimes  experienced.  Thus  on  the  19th  of 
August,  1845,  a  whirlwind  occurred  in  the  department  of 
Seine  Inferieur,  which  is  remembered  to  this  day  in  Nor- 
mandy as  if  it  had  happened  but  yesterday.  The  barometer 
fell  suddenly  more  than  two  inches.  Very  soon  it  was  ob- 
served that  along  a  certain  track  the  sea  at  Havre  was  dis- 
turbed by  a  tempest,  while  outside  the  track  the  sea  was 
relatively  calm.  The  whirlwind  soon  reached  the  land. 
The  large  mill  at  Monville,  in  a  valley  near  the  railway 
between  Deippe  and  Rouen,  was  suddenly  blown  down.  It 
fell  as  if  a  hundred  batteries  had  discharged  their  fire  at 
once  upon  it.  Hundreds  of  factory  women  were  buried 


334  STORM  IN  ENGLAND. 

beneath  the  ruins.  The  few  who  escaped  could  not  under- 
stand that  in  the  midst  of  calm  a  hurricane  had  suddenly 
arisen.  They  believed  for  a  while  that  the  end  of  the  world 
had  arrived.  Men  were  hurled  over  hedges ;  others  were 
cut  to  pieces  by  the  machinery  which  had  been  whirled 
about  in  the  air ;  others,  without  being  actually  hurt,  were 
so  terrified  that  they  died  from  the  effects  of  the  fright,  in 
the  course  of  a  few  days.  Whole  rooms  and  walls  were 
turned  upside  down,  so  as  to  be  no  longer  recognizable. 
At  other  points  the  buildings  were  literally  pulverized  and 
their  site  swept  clean.  Planks,  measuring  a  yard  long, 
five  inches  wide  and  nearly  half  an  inch  thick,  archives  and 
papers  were  carried  to  distances  of  15  to  25  miles.  Trees 
situated  in  the  track  of  the  storm  were  blown  down  and 
dried  up.  The  extent  of  the  ground  thus  devastated  was  as 
much  as  nine  miles  in  length.  Manifestly  this  was  a  case 
in  which  a  whirlwind  had  descended  and  then  arisen 
again,  for  the  track  increased  from  30  yards  in  width  at 
Cleres  to  about  300  yards  near  Monville,  decreasing  again 
to  100  yards  near  the  Seine  at  Canteleu. 

One  of  the  most  singular  whirlwinds  on  record  is  that 
which  devastated  Chatenay,  near  Paris,  in  June,  1839. 
We  are  told  by  Flammarion  that  it  "burnt  up  the  trees  that 
lay  within  its  circumference,  and  uprooted  those  which 
were  upon  its  line  of  passage ;  the  former,  in  fact,  were 
found  with  the  side  which  was  exposed  to  the  storm  com- 
pletely scorched  and  burnt,  whereas  the  opposite  side  re- 
mained fresh  and  green.  Thousands  of  large  trees  were 
blown  down,  and  lay  all  one  way  like  wheat  sheaves.  An 
apple  tree  was  carried  over  200  yards  onto  a  group  of  oaks 
and  elms.  Houses  were  gutted  inside  without  being  blown 
down.  Several  roofs  were  carried  off  as  if  they  were 
kites." 


CHAPTEE  XXII. 

THE     GBEAT     TBAGEDY    OF     THE    ALAMO. 

As  everything  relating  to  this  memorable  siege  must 
be  interesting,  I  will  insert  a  brief  abstract  from  the  jour- 
nal of  Almonte,  and  aid  of  Santa  Anna,  commencing  with 
the  27th  of  February,  three  days  subsequent  to  the  date 
of  Travis'  first  letter : 

"Saturday,  27th. — Lieut.  Menchard  was  sent  with  a 
party  of  mem  for  corn,  cattle  and  hogs,  to  the  farms  of 
Seguin  and  Elores.  It  was  determined  to  cut  off  the  water 
from  the  enemy  on  the  side  next  to  the  old  mill.  There 
was  little  firing  from  either  side  during  the  day.  The 
enemy  worked  hard  all  day  to  repair  some  entrenchments. 
In  the  afternoon  the  President  was  observed  by  the  enemy 
and  fired  at.  In  the  night  a  courier  was  dispatched  to 
Mexico,  informing  the  Governor  of  the  taking  of  Bexar. 

"28th. — News  was  received  that  a  reinforcement  of  two 
hundred  was  coming  to  the  enemy  by  the  road  from  La 
Bahia.  The  cannonading  was  continued. 

"29th. — In  the  afternoon  the  battalion  of  Allende  took 
post  at  the  east  of  the  Alamo.  The  President  reconnoi- 
tered.  At  midnight  Gen.  Sexma  left  the  camp  with  the 
cavalry  of  Dolores  and  the  infantry  of  Allende,  to  meet 
the  enemy  coming  from  La  Bahia  to  the  aid  of  the  Alamo. 

"March  1st. — Early  in  the  morning  Gen.  Sezma  wrote 
from  the  Mission  de  la  Espadar,  that  there  was  no  enemy, 
or  trace  of  any,  to  be  discovered.  The  cavalry  and  in- 
fantry returned  to  camp.  At  12  o'clock  the  President 
went  out  to  reconnoitre  the  mill-site  to  the  northwest  of 

335 


336  TRAGEDY  OF  ALAMO. 

the  Alamo.  Col.  Ampudia  was  commissioned  to  construct 
more  trenches.  In  the  afternoon  the  enemy  fired  two  12- 
pound  shots  at  the  house  of  the  President,  one  of  which 
struck  the  house. 

"2d. — Information  was  received  that  there  was  corn  at 
the  farm  of  Sequin,  and  Lieut.  Menchard,  with  a  party  was 
sent  for  it.  The  President  discovered  in  the  afternoon  a 
covered  road  within  pistol  shot  of  the  Alamo,  and  posted 
the  battalion  of  Ximenes  there. 

"3d. — The  enemy  fired  a  few  cannon  and  musket  shots 
at  the  city.  I  wrote  to  Mexico,  directing  my  letters  to  be 
sent  to  Bexar — that  before  three  months  the.  campaign 
would  be  ended.  The  General-in-Chief  went  out  to  recon- 
noitre. A  battery  was  erected  on  the  north  of  the  Alamo, 
within  musket  shot.  Official  dispatches  were  received  from 
Urrea,  announcing  that  he  had  routed  the  colonists  of  San 
Patricio,  killing  sixteen  and  taking  twenty-one  prisoners. 
The  bells  were  rung.  The  battalions  of  Zapadores,  Aldama 
and  Toluca  arrived.  The  enemy  attempted  a  sally  in  the 
night  at  the  sugar  mill,  but  were  repulsed  by  our  advance. 

"4th. — Commenced  firing  very  early,  which  the  enemy 
did  not  return.  In  the  afternoon  one  or  two  shots  were 
fired  by  them.  A  meeting  of  Generals  and  Colonels  was 
held.  After  a  long  conference  Cos,  Castrillon  and  others 
were  of  the  opinion  that  the  Alamo  should  be  assaulted 
after  the  arrival  of  two  twelve-pounders,  expected  on  the 
7th  inst.  The  President,  Gen.  Ramirez  and  I  were  of  the 
opinion  that  the  twelve-pounders  -should  not  be  waited  for, 
but  the  assault  made.  In  this  state  things  remained,  the 
General  not  coming  to  any  definite  resolution." 

The  storming  of  the  Alamo  took  place  on  the  morning 
of  the  6th,  the  second  after  the  conference  of  the  Mexican 


TEAGEDY  OF  ALAMO.  337 

officers.  The  events  of  that  memorable  morning,  on  which 
was  exhibited  perhaps  the  most  obstinate  and  determined 
valor  ever  known,  have  been  but  very  partially  related,  since 
not  an  American  belonging  to  the  fort — except  a  woman, 
Mrs.  Dickerson,  and  a  negro  man,  Col.  Travis'  servant — 
was  left  to  tell  the  tale.  The  account  the  most  to  be  relied 
upon,  and  which  is  undoubtedly  substantially  correct,  is 
given  by  a  negro  man,  Ben,  who,  at  the  time  of  the  siege, 
acted  as  cook  for  Santa  Anna  and  Almonte.  Ben  had  pre- 
viously been  a  steward  on  board  several  American  vessels 
— had  been  taken  up  at  New  York  in  1835  by  Almonte  as 
body  servant — had  accompanied  him  in  that  capacity  to 
Vera  Cruz,  and  thence  to  Bexar.  After  the  fall  of  the 
Alamo  he  was  sent,  with  Mrs.  Dickerson  and  Travis'  ser- 
vant, to  the  Texas  camp  at  Gonzales,  and  subsequently  be- 
came cook  to  General  Houston. 

"I,"  says  a  highly  respectable  officer  of  the  General's 
staff,  "had  repeated  conversations  with  Ben  relative  to  the 
fall  of  the  Alamo.  He  knew  but  little.  He  stated  that 
Santa  Anna  and  Almonte  occupied  the  same  house  in  the 
town  of  Bexar,  and  that  he  cooked  for  both ;  that,  on  the 
night  previous  to  the  storming  of  the  fort,  Santa  Anna  or- 
dered him  to  have  coffee  ready  for  them  all  night ;  that  both 
he  and  Almonte  were  conversing  constantly,  and  did  not 
go  to  bed;  that  they  went  out  about  midnight,  and  about 
two  or  three  o'clock  returned  together  to  the  house;  that 
Santa  Anna  ordered  coffee  immediately,  threatening  to  run 
him  through  the  body  if  it  was  not  instantly  brought ;  that 
he  served  them  with  coffee;  that  Santa  Anna  appeared 
agitated,  and  that  Almonte  remarked  'It  would  cost  them 
much ;'  that  the  reply  was,  'It  was  of  no  importance  what 
it  cost,  that  it  must  be  done.' 


338  TRAGEDY   OF  ALAMO. 

"  ( After  drinking  coffee/  says  Ben,  'they  went  out,  and 
soon  I  saw  rockets  ascending  in  different  directions,  and 
shortly  after  I  heard  musketry  and  cannon,  and  by  the 
flashes  I  could  distinguish  large  bodies  of  Mexican  troops 
under  the  walls  of  the  Alamo.  I  was  looking  out  of  a  win- 
dow in  the  town,  about  five  hundred  yards  from  the  Alamo, 
commanding  a  view  of  it.  The  report  of  the  cannon,  rifles 
and  musketry  was  tremendous.  It  shortly  died  away,  day 
broke  upon  the  scene,  and  Santa  Anna  and  Almonte  re- 
turned, when  the  latter  remarked  that  "another  such  vic- 
tory would  ruin  them."  They  then  directed  me  to  go  with 
them  to  the  fort,  and  point  out  the  bodies  of  Bowie  and 
Travis — whom  I  had  before  known — which  I  did.  The 
sight  was  most  horrid.' 7 

On  other  authority  we  have  it,  that  at  day-break  on  the 
morning  of  the  6th,  the  enemy  surrounded  the  fort  with 
their  infantry,  with  the  cavalry  forming  a  circle  outside,  to 
prevent  the  escape  of  the  Texans.  The  number  of  the 
enemy  was  at  least  4,000,  opposed  to  140 ! 

In  the  Alamo  chapter  of  Titherington's  Dramatic  Scenes 
of  American  History  there  is  this  clear  narration  of  the 
course  of  the  Alamo  fight: 

On  all  sides,  but  the  north  the  attack  was  only  a  feint, 
and  the  Mexicans  were  repelled  by  a  single  volley  from  the 
garrison.  But  in  that  one  quarter  the  division  of  General 
Castrillon,by  sheer  weight  of  numbers,  and  after  two  hours 
of  desperate  resistance  against  fearful  odds,  succeeded  in 
forcing  an  entrance.  Twice  the  Mexicans  were  driven 
back  by  the  fire  of  the  besieged,  and  twice  their  officers, 
saber  in  hand,  forced  them  to  return  to  the  assault.  At 
the  third  attack  scaling  ladders  were  placed  against  the 
walls.  The  defenders  were  firing  as  fast  as  they  could 


TRAOEDY  OF  ALAMO.  339 

load,  and  with  deadly  effect,  but  for  every  Mexican  that 
fell  there  were  a  dozen  to  take  his  place.  The  ladders  were 
replaced  every  time  the  Texans  toppled  them  over.  Men 
swarmed  up  them  in  irresistible  numbers,  and  in  spite  of 
the  furious  fighting  of  the  garrison,  who  used  their 
rifles  as  clubs  when  they  had  no  time  to  load  them,  the 
assailants  forced  their  way  over  the  wall. 

The  Texans,  or  those  of  them  that  were  left  alive,  fell 
back  into  the  mission  building.  They  had  pulled  bags  of 
dirt  in  its  windows  and  doorways,  and  upon  the  roof,  and 
behind  these  defenses  they  prepared  to  make  their  last 
stand.  The  Mexicans  poured  over  the  wall  like  a  torrent, 
filled  the  courtyard  and  surged  round  the  building  on  all 
sides.  Col.  Travis  turned  his  one  cannon  upon  them  and 
fired  a  few  telling  shots  before  he  was  overwhelmed.  At 
every  door,  and  soon  in  every  room,  there  was  a  desperate, 
merciless  struggle.  Quarter  was  neither  asked  nor  given. 

Chambers'  Journal  on  the  defense  of  the  Alamo,  con- 
tinues :  Even  then,  though  only  a  dozen  or  two  of  the  gar- 
rison remained  alive,  resistance  was  not  at  an  end.  They 
fought  manfully  to  the  last,  for  most  of  them  had  prom- 
ised their  dead  leader  never  to  surrender,  and  they  meant  to 
keep  their  word.  The  savage  conquerers  showed  no  mercy, 
even  to  the  wounded.  Bowie  was  lying  in  bed,  suffering 
from  sickness  and  injuries,  when  they  broke  in  upon  him 
with  the  intention  of  dispatching  him  then  and  there. 
But  they  caught  a  Tartar  in  the  wiry  little  Colonel,  who, 
even  in  his  enfeebled  condition,  stretched  four  of  his  assail- 
ants dead  on  the  floor  before  he  was  slaughtered.  Crockett 
was  one  of  the  last  to  die.  When  they  surrounded  him  he 
fought  with  his  'clubbed  rifle.  He  and  five  others — all 
that  remained  of  the  Alamo  defenders — stood  back  to 


340  TRAGEDY   OF  ALAMO. 

back,  and  so  fierce  was  their  resistance  they  actually  kept 
their  assailants  at  bay  until  the  Mexicans  were  glad  to  offer 
them  quarter.  They  were  led  out  from  the  fort  and 
brought  before  Santa  Anna.  The  Mexican  leader  regarded 
the  heroes  with  looks  of  fierce  exultation.  They  must  have 
thought  then,  when  it  was  too  late,  that  it  would  have 
gone  better  with  them  if  they  had  shared  the  fate  of  their 
comrades,  rather  than  have  fallen  into  the  hands  of  this 
tyrant.  Though  the  brave  fellows  had  been  promised  quar- 
ter, they  were  led  out  from  his  presence,  and  massacred  in 
cold  blood.  The  brutal  instincts  of  the  conqueror  were  not 
satisfied  until  he  had  mutilated  the  bodies  of  the  slain. 

The  Magazine  of  American  History  relates  of  the  fall  of 
the  Alamo :  When  the  hour  came,  the  south  guns  of  the 
Alamo  were  answering  the  batteries  that  fronted  them, 
but  the  music  was  silent  till  the  blast  of  the  bugle  was  fol- 
lowed by  the  rushing  tramp  of  soldiers.  The  guns  of  the 
fort  opened  upon  the  moving  masses,  and  Santa  Anna's 
bands  struck  up  the  assassin  note,  of  deguello,  or  no  quar- 
ter. But  a  few  and  not  very  effective  discharges  of  cannon 
could  be  made  from  the  works  before  the  enemy  were 
under  them,  and  it  was  probably  not  till  then  that  the  worn 
and  weary  garrison  was  fully  mustered.  Castrillon's  col- 
umn arrived  first  at  the  foot  of  the  wall,  but  was  not  the 
first  to  enter.  The  guns  of  the  north,  where  Travis  com- 
manded in  person,  probably  raked  the  breach,  and  this, 
or  the  fire  of  the  riflemen  brought  the  column  to  a  disor- 
dered halt,  and  Colonel  Duque,  who  commanded  the  bat- 
talion of  Toluca  fell  dangerously  wounded ;  but  while  this 
was  occurring,  the  column  from  the  west  crossed  the  barrier 
on  that  side  by  escalade  at  a  point  north  of  the  center; 
and  as  this  checkoJ  resistance  at  the  north,  Oastrillon 


TRAGEDY   OF  ALAMO.  341 

shortly  after  passed  the  breach.  It  was  probably  while  the 
enemy  was  thus  pouring  into  the  large  area  that  Travis 
fell  at  his  post,  for  his  body,  with  a  single  shot  in  the  fore- 
head, was  found  beside  the  gun  at  the  northwest  angle. 
The  outer  walls  and  batteries,  all  except  one  gun,  of  which 
I  will  speak,  were  now  abandoned  by  the  defenders.  In 
the  meantime,  Cos  had  again  proved  unlucky.  His  col- 
umn was  repulsed  from  the  chapel,  and  his  troops  fell  back 
in  disorder  behind  the  old  stone  stable  and  huts  that  stood 
south  of  the  southwest  angle.  There  they  were  soon  ral- 
lied and  led  into  the  large  area  by  General  Amador.  I  am 
not  certain  as  to  his  point  of  entrance,  but  he  probably  fol- 
lowed the  escalade  of  the  column  from  the  West. 

This  all  passed  within  a  few  moments  after  the  bugle 
sounded.  The  garrison  when  driven  from  the  thinly 
manned  outer  defenses,  whose  early  loss  was  inevitable, 
took  refuge  in  the  building  before  described,  but  mainly 
in  the  long  barrack,  and  it  was  not  till  then,  when  they  be- 
came more  concentrated  and  covered  within  that  the  main 
struggle  began.  They  were  more  concentrated  as  to  space, 
not  as  to  unity  of  command,  for  there  was  no  communicat- 
ing between  buildings  nor  in  all  cases  between  rooms. 
There  was  little  need  of  command,  however,  to  men  who 
had  no  choice  left  but  to  fall  where  they  stood  before  the 
weight  of  numbers.  There  was  now  no  retreating  from 
point  to  point,  and  each  group  of  defenders  had  to  fight 
and  die  in  the  den  where  it  was  brought  to  bay.  From 
the  doors,  windows  and  loopholes  of  the  several  rooms 
around  the  area  the  crack  of  the  rifle  and  the  hiss  of  the 
bullet  came  thick  and  fast;  as  fast  the  enemy  fell  and 
recoiled  in  his  fierce  efforts  to  charge.  The  gun  beside 
which  Travis  fell  was  now  turned  against  the  buildings,  as 


342  TRAGEDY   OF  ALAMO. 

were  also  some  others,  and  shot  after  shot  was  sent  crash- 
ing through  the  doors  and  barricades  of  the  several  rooms. 
Each  ball  was  followed  by  a  storm  of  musketry  and  a 
charge,  and  thus  room  after  room  was  carried  at  the 
point  of  the  bayonet,  when  all  within  them  died  fighting 
to  the  last.  The  struggle  was  made  up  of  a  number  of  sep- 
arate and  desperate  combats,  often  hand  to  hand,  between 
the  squads  of  the  garrison  and  bodies  of  the  enemy.  The 
bloodiest  spot  about  the  fort  was  the  long  barrack  and  the 
ground  in  front  of  it,  where  the  enemy  fell  in  heaps. 

Before  the  action  reached  this  stage,  the  turning  of 
Travis'  gun  by  the  assailants  was  briefly  imitated  by  a 
group  of  the  defenders.  "A  small  piece  on  a  high  plat- 
form," as  it  was  described  to  me  by  General  Bradburn, 
was  wheeled  by  those  who  manned  it  against  the  large 
area  after  the  enemy  entered  it.  Some  of  the  Mexican 
officers  thought  it  did  more  execution  than  any  gun  which 
fired  outward;  but  after  two  effective  discharges,  it  was 
silenced,  when  the  last  of  its  cannoneers  fell  under  a 
shower  of  bullets.  I  cannot  locate  this  gun  with  certainty, 
but  it  was  probably  the  twelve-pound  cannonade  which 
fired  over  the  center  of  the  west  wall  from  a  high  com- 
manding position.  The  smallness  assigned  to  it  perhaps 
referred  only  to  its  length.  According  to  Mr.  Ruiz,  then 
the  Alcalde  of  San  Antonio,  who,  after  this  action,  was  re- 
quired to  point  out  the  slain  leaders  to  Santa  Anna,  the 
body  of  Crockett  was  found  in  the  west  battery  just  re- 
ferred to,  and  we  may  infer  that  he  either  commanded 
that  point  or  was  stationed  there  as  a  sharpshooter.  The 
common  fate  overtook  Bowie  in  his  bed  in  one  of  the 
rooms  of  the  low  barrack,  when  he  probably  had  but  a  few 
days  of  life  left  in  him,  yet  he  had  enough  remaining,  it  is 


TRAGEDY  OF  ALAMO.  343 

said,  to  shoot  down  with  his  pistols  more  than  one  of  his 
assailants  before  he  was  butchered  on  his  couch.  If  he  had 
sufficient  strength  and  consciousness  left  to  do  it,  we  may 
safely  assume  that  it  was  done. 

The  chapel,  which  was  the  last  point  taken,  was  car- 
ried by  a  coup  de  main  after  the  fire  of  the  other  build- 
ings was  silenced.  Once  the  enemy  in  possession  of  the 
large  area,  the  guns  of  the  south  could  be  turned  to  fire 
into  the  door  of  the  church,  only  from  fifty  to  an  hundred 
yards  off,  and  that  was  probably  the  route  of  attack.  The 
inmates  of  this  last  stronghold,  like  the  rest,  fought  to  the 
last,  and  continued  to  fire  down  from  the  upper  works 
after  the  enemy  occupied  the  floor.  A  Mexican  officer  told 
of  seeing  one  of  his  soldiers  shot  in  the  crown  of  the  head 
during  this  melee.  Toward  the  close  of  the  struggle  Lieu- 
tenant Dickerson,  with  his  child  in  his  arms,  or,  as  some 
accounts  say,  tied  to  his  back,  leaped  from  the  east  em- 
brasure of  the  chapel,  and  both  were  shot  in  the  act.  Of 
those  he  left  behind  him,  the  bayonet  soon  gleaned  what  the 
bullet  had  left,  and  in  the  upper  part  of  that  edifice  the 
last  defender  must  have  fallen.  The  morning  breeze  which 
received  his  parting  breath  probably  still  fanned  his  flag 
above  that  f actic,  for  I  doubt  not  he  fell  ere  it  was  pulled 
down  by  the  victors. 

The  Alamo  had  fallen ;  but  the  impression  it  left  on  the 
invader  was  the  forerunner  of  San  Jacinto.  It  is  a  fact 
not  often  remembered,  that  Travis  and  his  band  fell  under 
the  Mexican  Federal  flag  of  1824,  instead  of  the  Lone  Star 
of  Texas,  although  independence,  unknown  to  them,  had 
been  declared  by  the  new  convention  four  days  before  at 
Washington  on  the  Brazos.  They  died  for  a  Republic  of 
whose  existence  they  never  knew. 


344:  TRAGEDY   OF  ALAMO. 

Bancroft's  History  of  the  Pacific  States  tells  of  Hous- 
ton's reception  of  the  news  of  the  Alamo. 

News  of  the  slaughter  at  the  Alamo  reached  Gonzales 
on  the  day  of  Houston's  arrival,  and  orders  were  sent  forth- 
with to  Fannin,  instructing  him  to  fall  back  to  Guadalupe 
Victoria,  and  place  it  in  a  state  of  defense.  On  the  12th 
Mrs.  Dickenson  reached  the  place  and  confirmed  the 
mournful  tidings,  adding  many  horrible  details  of  the 
event.  The  inhabitants  were  panic  stricken.  There  was 
hardly  a  household  in  the  town  that  had  not  to  mourn  the 
loss  of  a  father,  a  son,  a  brother  or  other  relative.  Not 
less  than  twenty  widowed  mothers  bemoaned  their  hus- 
bands' deaths.  The  families  of  the  citizens  who  had  fallen 
abandoned  themselves  to  grief  and  despair,  and  the  inhab- 
itants began  to  flee.  The  panic  was  contagious,  and  many 
who  had  assembled  in  arms  returned  to  their  homes  to  pro- 
vide for  the  safety  of  those  whom  they  had  left  behind. 
With  no  force  capable  of  repelling  the  enemy,  Houston  de- 
cided to  retreat,  and  having  thrown  his  artillery,  consisting 
of  two  brass  24-pounders,  into  the  river,  began  his  march 
just  before  midnight  of  the  12th.  On  his  departure  the 
town  was  set  on  fire  and  reduced  to  ashes. 


CHAPTEK   XXIII. 

DISASTEES     THAT     ARE     MEMORABLE. 

Of  the  Johnstown  disaster  the  Spectator  of  June  8, 
1889,  says: 

In  the  awful  calamity  of  May  31st,  in  the  valley  of 
Conemaugh,  the  greatest  calamity,  we  believe,  which 
has  suddenly  fallen  on  white  men  since  the  earthquake 
of  Lisbon  destroyed  thirty  thousand  persons,  the  ulti- 
mate cause  was  clearly  a  climatic  condition  wholly  beyond 
human  control.  The  dam  of  the  great  reservoir  above 
Johnstown,  a  tank  holding  millions  of  tons  of  water,  was 
constructed  by  human  hands,  and  may  have  been  in  an 
unsound  condition — the  evidence  telegraphed  on  that 
point  looks  very  bad  indeed — but  the  reason  why  it  broke 
was  a  fall  of  rain  on  the  Alleghanies,  wholly  beyond  cal- 
culation or  arrest,  a  fall  which  swelled  every  river  in 
the  region  till  the  water  could  not  pass  under  the  bridges, 
and  which  probably  far  exceeded  in  aggregate  volume  the 
contents  of  the  reservoir.  The  mass  of  water  imprisoned 
in  that  receptacle  rose  and  rose  with  the  new  accessions 
from  the  clouds  and  from  the  mountains,  till  its  weight 
was  unendurable,  and  when  the  masonry  of  the  great 
dam,  seven  hundred  feet  in  length  and  a  hundred  feet 
high,  was  "driven  open  like  a  pair  of  lock-gates,"  the 
unbroken  mass,  with  its  head  reared  twenty  feet  into 
the  air,  and  throwing  out  clouds  of  spray  which  blinded  the 
spectators,  marched — for  that  is  the  only  word  for  a  pas- 
sage which  took  sixty  minutes,  through  and  over  the 
"cities"  and  villages  of  the  Conemaugh  Valley,  as  if  they 

345 


346  MEMORABLE  DISASTERS. 

were  non-existent.  A  few  buildings  stood,  six,  for  in- 
stance, in  Johnstown,  a  town  of  twenty  thousand  people ; 
but  the  mass  of  houses  were  of  wood,  and  were  swept  away 
like  logs,  their  inmates  screaming  within  them.  An  eye- 
witness writes  of  the  richer  quarter  of  Johnstown  that 
it  became  a  piece  of  waste  ground :  "There  is  nothing  to 
indicate  that  it  has  ever  been  anything  else  than  what 
it  is — as  clear  of  debris  and  wreckage  as  though  there 
had  never  been  a  building  on  it.  In  reality  it  was  the 
central  and  busiest  part  of  Johnstown.  Buildings,  both 
dwellings  and  stores,  covered  it  thickly.  Its  streets  were 
paved,  and  its  sidewalks  were  of  substantial  stone.  It 
had  street  car  lines,  gas  and  electric  light,  and  all  the 
other  improvements  of  a  substantial  city  of  fifteen  or 
twenty  thousand  inhabitants.  The  iron  bridges  which 
spanned  the  streams,  and  the  buildings  were  of  substan- 
tial character.  Not  a  brick  remains,  not  a  stone,  not  a 
stick  of  timber.  In  all  this  territory  there  are  not  even 
mounds  to  show  where  the  wreckage  might  be  covered 
with  a  layer  of  mud.  They  are  gone — every  building — 
every  street,  every  sidewalk,  pavement,  street  railway — 
everything  else  that  covered  the  surface  of  the  earth  has 
vanished  as  though  it  had  never  been  there.  The  ground 
is  swept  as  clean  as  though  some  mighty  scraper  had  been 
dragged  over  it  again  and  again.  Not  even  the  lines  of 
the  streets  can  be  remotely  traced.  'I  have  visited  Johns- 
town a  dozen  times  a  year,'  said  a  business  man  to-day. 
'I  knew  it  thoroughly,  but  I  haven't  the  least  idea  what 
part  of  it  this  is.  I  can't  even  tell  the  direction  the  streets 
used  to  run.' ' 

As  the  stream  was  moving  at  twenty  miles  an  hour  the 
very  beasts  could  not  and  did  not  escape;  flight  for  any 


MEMORABLE  DISASTERS.  J4T 

human  being  at  a  distance  from  a  hillock  was  impossible ; 
and  we  greatly  fear  the  official  estimate  of  the  dead  is 
far  within  the  truth,  and  that  even  the  private  estimate 
of  the  Adjutant-General  of  Pennsylvania,  fifteen  thou- 
sand, may  be  considerably  exceeded.  It  is  certain  that 
the  slaughter  of  laborers  throughout  the  valley  has  been 
so  great  that  the  dead  cannot  get  buried,  and  that,  in  fear 
of  a  pestilence,  spread  not  so  much  by  the  stench  of  the 
corpses  as  by  their  effect  on  drinking  water,  the  Governor 
of  the  State  has  ordered  a  regiment  of  militia  to  assist  in 
the  painful  task.  To  add  to  the  horror  of  the  tragedy,  a 
considerable  portion  of  those  destroyed,  perhaps  a  sixth, 
were  not  drowned  or  struck  senseless,  but  burned  alive, 
hundreds  of  wooden  shanties  having  been  welded  by  the 
stream  into  a  huge  raft,  sixty  acres  in  area,  which  stopped 
against  one  of  the  bridges,  unluckily  too  well  built  to  give 
way,  and,  catching  fire,  burned  on*  steadily  for  hours, 
under  the  eyes  of  powerless  spectators.  Amid  such  a  scene 
the  destruction  of  property  seems  not  to  matter;  but  a 
fine  of  eight  millions  sterling  levied  by  nature  on  a  mo- 
ment on  a  population  of  fifty-eight  thousand,  must  mean 
for  thousands  of  the  survivors  ruin  which  anywhere  but 
in  America  would  be  hopeless,  and  even  in  America  will 
take  out  much  of  the  happiness  from  life  during  a  genera- 
tion. 

The  scale  of  the  calamity  is,  of  course,  not  Asiatic. 
It  is  nothing  when  compared  with  the  destruction  of  the 
Island  of  Shahbaxpore,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Ganges,  in 
1876,  when  a  quarter  of  a  million  of  human  beings  per- 
ished in  a  night;  or  with  the  famine  in  the  two  Chinese 
provinces,  which  starved  nine  millions  of  people ;  or  with 
the  famine  in  Orissa,  which  swept  away  a  third  of  the 


348  MEMORABLE  DISASTERS. 

people;  or  with,  the  horrible  flood  of  last  year  in  Honan, 
where  the  Yellow  river  in  a  few  hours  drowned,  it  is  be- 
lieved, more  than  two  millions  of  peasant  men  and  women. 
The  scale,  however,  for  Europe  is  very  large;  and  when 
the  fate  of  white  men  is  concerned,  it  is  the  scale  of  Eu- 
rope we  unconsciously  employ.  We  can  individualize 
them,  and  actually  feel  with  the  unhappy  man  who,  after 
twice  lifting  mother  and  wife  out  of  the  water,  was 
struck  by  a  piece  of  wreckage,  and  so  died;  or  with,  the 
German  who,  with  twenty-nine  relatives  at  5  p.  m.,  knew 
at  7  p.  m.  that  he  was  alone  in  the  world.  This  European 
scale,  which  has  a  profound  effect  upon  European  thought, 
is,  of  course,  the  result  of  centuries  during  which  men 
have  noted  the  moderateness  of  all  catastrophes,  a  moder- 
ateness so  nearly  unbroken,  that  a  philosopher  like  Gothe 
held  the  earthquake  of  Lisbon,  which  destroyed  probably 
10  per  cent  of  those  drowned  at  Shahbaxpore,  an  adequate 
reason  for  doubting  the  goodness  or  existence  of  God. 

It  has  been  noticed  with  a  certain  superstition  that  two 
great  men,  Cromwell  and  Napoleon,  died  in  the  midst  of 
storms,  and  monarchists  have  held  that  they  passed  away 
in  the  midst  of  manifestations  that  Nature  was  displeased 
with  them.  We  quote  the  Leisure  Hour  of  1878 : 

Few  storms  in  English  history  have  become  more 
memorable  than  that  which  attended  the  death  of  Crom- 
well. Nearly  every  contemporary  historian  mentions  this 
great  tempest,  and  all  who  do  so  endeavor  to  draw  some 
augury  therefrom.  In  the  MS.  diary  of  a  sturdy  old 
Royalist  we  find  written,  "Cromwell,  ye  great  rebel,  went 
to  ye  divele  in  a  tempest" ;  and  Bulstrode  avers  that  the 
rein  of  the  prince  of  the  air  showed  his  power,  thinking 
it  not  fit  that  one  should  depart  out  of  this  world  quietly 


MEMORABLE  DISASTERS.  349 

who  had  made  "such  a  combustion,  trouble  and  misery  in 
it."  But  there  are  others  who  held  that  "Nature  sympa- 
thized herein  with  the  death-throes  of  a  great  Master  in 
Israel."  All  saw  a  connection  between  the  storm  and  the 
death,  however  they  might  interpret  its  meaning;  and 
such  a  connection,  in  the  case  of  Napoleon  to  be  noted 
hereafter,  there  certainly  was. 

When  atmospheric  conditions  of  great  depression  exist 
the  enfeebled  vital  powers  are  easily  brought  to  an  end. 
All  the  writers  who  allude  to  this  storm  bear  testimony  to 
its  violence.  Clarendon  calls  it  "the  greatest  storm  of 
wind  that  had  ever  been  known,  *  *  *  which  over- 
threw churches  and  houses  and  made  great  wrecks  at  sea." 
Its  effects  were  felt  not  only  all  over  England,  but  in 
France  and  in  Flanders  and  in  other  parts  of  Europe,  so 
that  the  people  trembled  at  its  fury,  and  the  coasts  were 
strewn  with  wrecks  and  the  bodies  of  the  drowned.  Echard 
likewise  terms  it  "the  most  tremendous  storm  that  had 
ever  been  known,"  and  Bulstrode  speaks  of  the  trees  in  St. 
James*  Park  being  torn  up  by  the  roots,  and  of  shipwrecks 
and  disasters  all  over  the  country.  The  coincidence  of  the 
storm  with  the  Protector's  death  made  so  deep  and  solemn 
an  impression  upon  men's  minds  that  one  wonders  at  the 
uncertainty  which  attends  its  exact  date.  Cromwell  died 
on  the  3d  of  September,  his  "fortunate  day,"  the  anniver- 
sary of  his  victories  at  Dunbar  and  Worcester.  Was  that 
the  day  of  the  great  storm?  Authorities  widely  differ. 
Blustrode  speaks  of  the  storm  as  being  in  the  night  of  the 
second,  or  morning  of  the  third.  Clarendon  states  that 
it  raged  for  some  time  before  and  after  Cromwell's  death. 
Echard,  agreeing  rather  with  Bulstrode,  says  that  it  ush- 
ered in  the  fatal  third.  Hume  makes  the  storm  immedi- 


350  MEMORABLE  DISASTERS. 

ately  succeed  the  death.  And  after  a  careful  examination 
of  all  the  records  of  the  time,  Carlyle  has  the  tempest  break 
forth  on  the  30th  of  August,  and  apparently  implies  that 
it  had  ceased  before  September  3d,  and  that  it  was  in  calm 
and  not  in  storm  that  the  great  Oliver's  days  were  actually 
ended. 

And  it  is  a  strange  coincidence  that  the  last  days  of  the 
great  Napoleon  were  also  attended  by  tempestuous  weath- 
er. May  is  the  windy  season  at  St.  Helena ;  and  in  May, 
1821,  the  weather  was,  to  quote  the  language  of  Thiers, 
"terrible."  The  storms  swept  in  violent  gusts  over  the 
rocky  island,  and  tore  up  the  trees,  including  the  fallen 
Emperor's  favorite,  in  the  gardens  around  Longwood. 
Such  was  the  4th  of  May ;  but  on  the  5th,  when  Napoleon 
passed  away,  all  was  bright  and  serene.  A  second  coin- 
cidence this,  even  more  striking,  with  the  circumstances 
attending  the  death  of  Cromwell.  If  our  version  of  Car- 
lyle be  right,  the  storm  passed  like  "life's  fitful  fever,"  and 
the  calm  of  nature  sympathized  with  the  calm  of  death. 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

MAJOR  FAYLING'S  HEROIC  WORK. 

It  is  in  the  hour  of  great  calamities,  when  the  average 
will  is  palsied  and  ordinary  men  are  weaklings,  that  men 
who  have  the  vigor  of  mind  and  the  force  of  character  to 
comprehend  the  conditions  and  meet  their  requirements 
are  revealed. 

Galveston  was  more  fortunate  than  other  cities  that  have 
met  a  similar  fate,  for  in  Major  L.  K.  D.  Fayling,  who 
had  been  a  resident. of  the  town  a  few  months  when  the 
storm  came,  the  stricken  city  had  a  man  who  was  equal 
to  the  emergency  and  whose  prompt  and  valorous  work 
saved  the  town  from  the  carnivals  of  crime  that  the  lawless 
element  would  otherwise  have  been  able  to  conduct. 

Major  Fayling  is  a  young  man  of  unusual  heroism  and 
force  of  character.  His  training  qualified  him  well  to  take 
in  hand  the  work  of  maintaining  order  in  the  stricken  city. 
He  has  served  in  the  ranks  of  those  who  risk  life  and  limb 
that  order  may  be  maintained.  He  has  seen  service  in  the 
regular  army,  and  in  1894  during  the  Chicago  strikes  he, 
served  as  special  Deputy  United  States  Marshal  under 
Marshal  Brinton,  and  commanded  a  squad  of  deputies 
under  Colonel  Nichols  of  the  Thiel  Detective  Service,  doing 
hard  and  effective  service  throughout  the  strike.  Later 
he  did  secret  service  work  in  several  of  the  States,  among 
other  things  holding  arguments  with  "moonshiners" 
through  the  medium  of  Winchesters.  In  1895  he  entered 
the  secret  service  of  the  Cuban  Junta  with  rank  of  Lieu- 
tenant, but  was  shortly  afterwards  transferred  to  the  line 

351 


352  MAJOR  FAYLING'S   WORK. 

and  participated  in  many  filibustering  expeditions  in 
Cuba  under  the  command  of  General  Gomez,  and  for  two 
years  saw  much  hard  fighting  in  the  interior  of  Cuba.  He 
was  twice  captured  by  the  Spaniards,  the  second  time  being 
confined  in  a  Spanish  prison  until  he  was  physically  pros- 
trated, making  it  necessary  for  him  to  leave  the  service  as 
soon  as  he  escaped.  He  left  the  Cuban  service  with  the 
rank  of  Captain,  but  with  the  brevet  of  Major  for  indi- 
vidual services.  When  war  was  declared  between  the 
United  States  and  Spain,  Major  Fayling  had  regained  his 
health,  and  though  holding  a  lucrative  position  in  civil 
life,  he  raised,  at  his  own  expense,  the  first  Company  in 
Ohio  that  was  offered  from  that  State  for  service  in  the 
war  with  Spain,  of  which  he  was  unanimously  elected 
Captain.  But,  not  being  a  part  of  the  regular  militia 
organization,  the  Company  was  not  sent  to  the  front,  owing 
to  political  intrigue  in  the  State.  The  Company  spent 
the  summer  in  hard  drill  and  camp  life,  but  saw  no 
fighting. 

For  some  months  previous  to  the  Galveston  storm,  Major 
Fayling  had  been  the  southern  manager  of  a  New  York 
corporation,  with  offices  at  Galveston.  He  had  become 
familiar  with  the  city,  and  when  the  storm  broke  he  not 
only  knew  what  should  be  done,  but  had  the  training  which 
qualified  him  to  take  the  initiative  in  restoring  order  and 
protecting  life  and  property.  An  account  of  his  services 
in  the  work  of  rescue  and  that  of  maintaining  order  in  the 
storm-stricken  city  is  of  historical  value,  and  interesting 
because  of  its  heroic  character.  For  a  week  after  the 
storm  Major  Fayling  held  the  destiny  of  the  city  in  his 
hand,  and  his  word  meant  life  or  death  to  evil-doers. 

Saturday,    September   8,   opened   as   a   rainy  day   in 


RUINS   OF   THE   BAPTIST   CHURCH. 


MAJOR  FAYLING'S  WORK.  353 

Galveston.  The  rain  was  accompanied  by  a  stiff  gale,  and 
a  heavy  sea  was  running  in  the  Gulf.  At  noon  the  rain 
ceased,  and  at  one  o'clock  Major  Fayling  started  for  the 
beach  to  get  a  view  of  the  sea.  At  that  hour  the  water  in 
the  streets  from  M  street  south  had  risen  until  it  reached 
the  hubs  of  carriages.  The  people  were  somewhat  alarmed, 
but  no  one  thought  the  storm  would  be  any  more  serious 
than  those  that  are  common  in  the  Gulf  city.  Shortly  after 
Major  Fayling  reached  the  beach  he  saw  O'Keefe's  bathing 
pavilion  and  a  part  of  the  Pagoda,  another  bathing  insti- 
tution, carried  away  by  the  action  of  the  sea.  The  Pagoda 
was  built  on  piling  out  in  the  sea,  and  connected  with  the 
shore  by  a  walk  supported  also  by  piling.  Major  Fayling 
went  out  to  what  remained  of  this  building  to  secure  his 
bathing  suit,  and  while  there  he  noticed  that  the  sea  had 
a  phosphorescent  color,  and  that  the  wind  was  blowing 
from  the  north,  while  the  sea  was  running  from  the  oppo- 
site direction.  While  in  the  West  Indies  on  military  ser- 
vice he  had  learned  that  these  signs  meant  a  hurricane. 
He  hurriedly  started  toward  the  town,  bathing  suit  in 
hand,  and  told  the  people  he  met  that  they  had  better  set 
out  for  the  higher  parts  of  the  town.  When  he  reached 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building  the  first  force  of  the  storm  struck, 
and  several  buildings  within  his  sight  went  down.  The 
air  became  filled  with  masonry,  bricks  and  slate.  He  was 
wading  and  swimming  through  an  average  of  five  feet  of 
water,  and  was  kept  busy  dodging  live  wires  that  sputtered 
and  burned  in  every  direction.  At  that  time  it  was  almost 
impossible  to  stand  against  the  wind,  and  women  were 
blown  distances  of  ten  to  twenty  feet  into  the  water.  He 
finally  reached  his  offices  at  Twenty-first  and  Market 
streets,  where  he  threw  off  his  clothing  and,  putting  on  his 


354  MAJOR  FAILING'S  WORK. 

bathing  suit  and  a  pair  of  stout  Turkish  slippers,  he  was 
ready  for  work.  The  only  persons  in  the  building  were 
Dr.  Baldinger,  Dr.  Nave  and  Miss  George,  the  latter  hav- 
ing been  brought  there  for  safety  by  Dr.  Nave. 

By  this  time  the  water  was  running  furiously  through 
the  streets,  and  the  air  seemed  full  of  the  wreckage  of 
buildings.  A  boat,  a  center-board  sloop,  thirty  feet  long, 
dismasted  and  without  oars,  came  along  as  if  propelled 
by  steam,  carrying  a  man  and  several  women  and  children. 
This  was  secured  and  towed  into  the  building.  By  means 
of  ropes  and  lines  this  boat  was  used  during  the  night  in 
the  work  of  rescuing  persons  who  were  being  carried  on 
the  tide  past  the  building.  In  this  way  Major  Fayling, 
with  the  assistance  of  the  two  physicians,  rescued  forty- 
three  persons  during  the  night. 

About  fifteen  negroes  and  tramps  strayed  into  the  build- 
ing during  the  evening.  These  overheard  a  plan  to  put 
the  women  and  children  into  the  boat  and  remove  them 
to  a  safer  place,  and  attempted  to  seize  the  boat  for  them- 
selves. Major  Fayling  had  a  six-shooter  and  a  Winchester 
in  the  building,  and,  placing  the  gang  under  arrest, 
stationed  his  servant  as  guard  over  them. 

By  three  o'clock  the  wind  had  slackened  to  a  strong 
gale,  and  it  seemed  like  a  calm  after  the  night's  cyclone. 
The  water  had  gone  down  as  rapidly  as  it  had  risen,  until 
it  was  only  about  four  or  five  feet  deep.  The  worst  danger 
being  over,  Major  Fayling  left  to  seek  some  friends  in 
another  part  of  the  city.  Finding  them  safe  he  returned 
in  the  hope  of  being  of  some  service  in  the  down-town 
district.  Store  windows  were  broken  where  the  buildings 
were  not  destroyed,  and  people  were  crawling  over  heaps 
of  rubbish,  and  going  in  and  out  of  stores  in  the  most 


MAJOR  FAYLIN&S  woM.         355 

suspicious  manner.  It  was  not  yet  daylight,  but  looting 
had  already  begun. 

At  daylight  Major  Fayling  sought  the  Chief  of  Police 
to  turn  over  his  prisoners.  He  found  the  city  hall  partially 
blown  down,  and  an  officer  on  guard  told  him  there  was 
no  place  in  which  to  put  any  prisoners.  He  returned  to 
the  building,  and  after  giving  his  prisoners  a  warning, 
turned  them  loose. 

At  that  time  everything  was  chaos.  Corpses  lay  in  every 
direction.  Knots  of  people  were  standing  on  the  street 
corners,  frightened  out  of  their  wits,  while  crazy  men  and 
women  walked  up  and  down  the  streets  weeping  and  wail- 
ing at  the  top  of  their  voices. 

The  Major  found  the  Chief  of  Police,  Ed.  Ketcham, 
who  did  not  seem  to  have  any  policemen  left,  and  asked 
him  if  he  could  be  of  any  service.  The  reply  was  a 
decided  yes,  and  on  a  damp  envelope  at  the  Tremont 
Hotel  the  Chief  wrote  Major  Fayling  a  commission  as 
Sergeant  of  Police.  The  Chief's  deputy  also  wrote  an 
order  for  food  and  supplies  for  the  men  Major  Fayling 
might  enlist  to  patrol  the  city.  The  Major  then  went  to 
the  city  authorities  and  suggested  that  the  salvation  of 
the  town  lay  in  putting  it  under  martial  law  at  once.  He 
also  told  them  he  had  seen  some  half -naked  regular  soldiers 
wandering  in  the  streets,  and  suggested  it  might  be  advisable 
to  take  them  into  the  police  service.  He  was  told  to  go 
ahead  and  do  whatever  he  thought  best,  but  was  assured 
it  would  be  impossible  to  get  any  help  from  the  regulars, 
as  they  would  not  obey  a  civilian.  Apparently  someone 
had  been  trying  it. 

Leaving  the  city  authorities,  the  Major  found  within 
four  blocks  four  bare-footed  artillerymen,  who  at  the  com- 


256  MAJOR  FAYLING'S  WORK. 

mand  of  "Attention!"  fell  in  without  asking  any  ques- 
tions, glad  to  find  some  sort  of  an  officer.  They  were 
informed  that  they  were  now  policemen,  and  would  be 
sworn  in  as  soon  as  time  could  be  found  for  the  ceremony. 
In  the  meantime  they  were  to  fall  in  and  get  shoes,  guns, 
ammunition  and  provisions.  Some  were  inclined  to  ask 
questions,  but  were  quickly  silenced  with  the  sharp  com- 
mand of  "Silence  in  the  ranks !" 

The  next  man  found  was  Ed.  Rogers,  whom  the  Major 
knew  to  be  a  brave  man  and  to  have  had  some  military 
experience.  The  Major  issued  a  verbal  commission  to 
him  at  once,  and  with  his  assistance  had  the  men  supplied 
in  less  than  thirty  minutes  with  what  they  needed  for  doing 
duty.  More  soldiers  were  found  on  nearly  every  corner, 
and  finally  a  militia  bugler  with  his  bugle  was  picked  up. 
The  "assembly"  was  blown  loudly,  which  brought  recruits 
from  Battery  0,  and  a  few  straggling  militiamen. 

Two  hours  after  receiving  his  commission  the  Major 
had  a  soldier  on  guard  at  almost  every  point  of  vantage, 
and  then  went  back  to  the  city  officials  for  more  authority. 
The  Mayor  and  Chief  of  Police  were  satisfied  with  what 
had  been  done,  and  being  busy  forming  a  Committee  of 
Public  Safety,  issued  the  following  commission : 

"By  the  authority  vested  in  me  as  Chairman  of  the 
Committee  of  Public  Safety  of  the  city  of  Galveston,  I, 
J.  H.  Hawley,  do  hereby  commission  L.  R.  D.  Fayling 
as  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  military  forces  and  the 
special  deputies  of  police  with  the  rank  of  Major,  and  only 
subject  to  the  orders  of  the  undersigned,  the  Mayor  and 
the  Chief  of  Police. 

"J.  H.  HAWLEY, 
"Chairman  Committee  of  Public  Safety. 


MAJOR  FAYLING'S   WORK. 


357 


OCO.  ft  KOH8T 

»»0»»II*TOJ»,- 


By  the  authority  invested  in 

of  Publi,  Sae  ty     of 


.  Chairmao  Qr. 


L/R.D.FayUng,  as  Connaander  in  CWef  of 
the  military  forceii,  and 


with  -the  rank  of  Major,  and  only  eabjeot  to 

and 
orders  of  the  undersigned,  the  Hayor,Tha;  Chief 


Chairman 


pf 


Public 


[  or  Payling  is  hereby  authorized  to  reauiflltion 
any  -property  that  he  may  require  for  the  use  «?  .hip 
force,  and  his. receipt  will  be  honored  by  .the 
City  of  Galveston,  end  any  iracb  property  paid  for 
by  the  cityj 


•» 


SaJTety< 


358  MAJOR   FAYLING'S   WORK. 

"Major  Fay  ling  is  hereby  authorized  to  requisition  any 
property  that  he  may  require  for  the  use  of  his  force,  and 
his  receipt  will  be  honored  by  the  city  of  Galveston,  and 
any  such  property  paid  for  by  the  city. 

"ED.  KETCHAM, 

"Chief  of  Police. 
"Approved  by  order  of  the  Mayor." 

Major  Fayling  now  directed  his  efforts  to  maintain 
order  at  any  cost.  The  first  morning  he  closed  the  saloons, 
meeting  some  resistance  in  a  few  cases,  which  a  show  of 
arms  overcame  instantly.  His  orders  to  his  men  were: 
"First,  close  all  saloons  in  town.  If  a  man  opens  up  again 
and  sells  liquor  after  being  closed,  arrest  him.  Second, 
shoot  anyone  caught  looting  the  dead  or  desecrating  corpses 
in  any  way.  If  anyone  resists  your  authority,  shoot.  Be 
very  careful  not  to  interfere  with  good  citizens  in  any  way, 
but  investigate  all  suspicious  characters." 

Within  twenty-four  hours,  finding  he  needed  more  men, 
the  Major  called  for  volunteers,  and  impressed  a  few  and 
drafted  others,  until  he  had  organized  the  following 
battalion :  Company  A,  regular  U.  S.  soldiers  of  Battery 
O,  detailed  by  their  commander,  Captain  Rafferty,  who 
tendered  the  service  of  all  the  soldiers  he  had  outside  of 
the  hospital.  Companies  B  and  C  were  made  up  of  mixed 
militia  and  citizen  volunteers.  There  was  also  a  troop  of 
cavalry  to  patrol  the  outlying  districts. 

Horses  for  the  cavalry  troop  were  selected  from  those 
roaming  in  the  street.  Major  Fayling  himself  wore  out 
two  and  three  horses  a  day  in  making  his  rounds  night  and 
day  to  see  that  his  men  did  their  duty. 

The  troops,  mixed  as  they  were  and  many  inexperienced, 


MAJOR  FAY  LING'S  WORK.  359 


To  The  Public. 

Sept.  n,  1900. 

tlie  City  .of  Galveaton  being  under  martial  law  and  all  good 
citfeens  being- iW enrolled  in aome  branch  of  the  public   service. 

It  becam£§\ffieee$§ary;  to  preserve  the  peacevthat  all  arms  in  this  city 
be  placed  .id  the  hands  of  the  Military. 

Alt  geod  citizen*  forbidden  to  carry  arms  .except  by   written 
from  the  Mayor,  Chief  of  polica  or  the  major  commanditig. 

AH  good  citiaens  are  hereby  coramatidedio  driver   all  arms   and 

ftiba  in  tho  city  and  take  Maior  Fajrliag'e  receipt. 

Walter  C.  Jones, 

MAYOR, 


360  MAJOR  FAYLING'S   WORK. 

behaved  nobly.  There  was  strict  discipline,  but  no  case 
of  insubordination.  There  was  a  belief  among  the  men 
that  the  Major  would  shoot  any  man  on  the  spot  who  might 
be  found  sleeping  on  duty  or  incline  to  disobedience  of 
orders.  The  men  worked  as  long  as  they  had  strength  to 
work.  Every  day  in  the  armory  they  had  to  bathe  their 
feet  in  cold  water  to  get  them  into  their  shoes,  and  many 
walked  miles  when  on  duty  when  they  should  have  been 
in  the  hospital.  There  were  no  complaints.  Some  of  the 
best  business  and  professional  men  of  the  city  were  in  the 
ranks,  and  worked  as  hard  as  anyone.  Major  Fayling 
had  no  rest  from  the  time  he  undertook  the  command  of 
the  city  forces  until  he  was  relieved  by  General  Scurry, 
and  during  that  time  he  had  nothing  to  eat  except  an 
occasional  sandwich  and  a  cup  of  coffee  taken  in  the  saddle. 

The  work  of  disposing  of  the  dead  was  the  most  horrible 
in  the  stricken  city.  Major  Fayling's  men  drove  hundreds 
of  negroes  at  the  bayonet  point  to  assist  in  the  work.  Men 
would  say,  "For  heaven's  sake,  don't  make  me  do  that.  I 
won't  go.  You  can  shoot  me  if  you  want  to,  but  I  can't 
do  that."  The  only  answer  was:  "Load  with  ball  cart- 
ridge— take  aim ,"  but  fortunately  that  was  as  far  as 

it  was  necessary  to  go.  They  threw  up  their  hands  and 
went  to  work. 

Nearly  everyone  in  town  was  armed  in  some  way.  The 
negroes,  both  men  and  women,  carried  large  carving 
knives,  if  they  had  no  better  weapons.  Arms  in  large 
numbers  were  stolen  from  the  gun  stores.  This  caused  the 
Mayor  to  issue  the  following  proclamation : 

"September  11,  1900. 
"To  The  Public: 

"The  city  of  Galveston  being  under  martial  law,  and  all 


MAJOR  FAYLING'S  WORK. 


361 


To  the  AdJuiantQener<a  of 


Sin- 

Having  b*W4&  active  ,6erVT«e,  wittotii  «leQp  or  food  ein«e  laet 
Saturday  night  €  th.   inat.,  I  beg>  toVte  •ral.Ht'e^  Q*  My  preaent 
comaiBBion  froa  the  City  Author!  iie  flu.    aa  Mag  or  of  City  Voltmteera, 
until  I  can  rest  And  bep,o»e  fit  for  *ome  duty  In  the  work  of  relief* 

After  24  houro  rest,  X  beg  to  tender  ay  eerrlce*  in  an?  capacity 
whatever,  to  do-  any  kind  cf  dUty  that  997  be  cf  QUO. 
Sir, 


362  MAJOR   FAYLING'S   WORK. 

good  citizens  being  now  enrolled  in  some  branch  of  the 
public  service,  it  becomes  necessary,  to  preserve  the  public 
peace,  that  all  arms  in  the  city  be  placed  in  the  hands  of 
the  military.  All  good  citizens  are  forbidden  to  carry 
arms  except  by  written  permission  from  the  Mayor,  Chief 
of  Police  or  Major  commanding.  All  good  citizens  are 
hereby  commanded  to  deliver  all  arms  and  ammunition  in 
the  city  and  take  Major  Fayling's  receipt. 

"WALTEK  C.  JOKES,  Mayor." 

It  was  under  this  commission  that  Major  Fayling  and 
the  men  under  him  requisitioned  arms  and  ammunition, 
shot  guns,  rifles,  etc.,  from  the  stores,  pistols  from  the 
pawnshops,  and  arms,  ammunition  and  uniforms  from  the 
armory. 

When  the  Chief  of  Police  relieved  the  men  of  Major 
Fayling's  force  in  accordance  with  the  Major's  request  on 
the  arrival  of  General  Scurry,  Adjutant-General  of  the 
State,  he  issued  the  following  receipt: 

"Galveston,  September  11,  1900. 

"I  hereby  certify  that  Major  L.  E.  D.  Fayling  has 
turned  over  to  the  city  authorities  all  guns,  arms,  horses, 
saddles  and  supplies  requisitioned  by  him  or  his  men 
according  to  orders  of  the  authorities  over  me  during  the 
past  week.  I  receipt  hereby  for  same. 

"ED.  KETCHAM, 
"Chief  of  Police." 

At  this  time  Major  Fayling  was  directed  by  the  Chief 
of  Police  to  call  in  all  his  men,  as  General  Scurry  had 
arrived  to  take  command  for  the  State.  The  men  were 
accordingly  assembled  at  the  armory,  from  which  place 


MAJOR  FAYLING'S  WORK. 


363 


364:  MAJOR  FAYLING'8   WORK. 

they  were  brought  to  the  Hotel  Tremont  for  inspection 
drill.  Major  Fayling  had  that  day  fallen  from  the  saddle 
from  faintness  caused  by  a  lack  of  food  and  sleep,  and  he 
applied  as  follows  to  General  Scurry: 

"To  the  Adjutant-General  of  the  State  of  Texas, 

"Galveston,  Texas. 

"Sir: — Having  been  on  active  service  without  sleep  or 
food  since  last  Saturday  night,  8th  inst.,  I  beg  to  be 
relieved  of  my  present  commission  from  the  city  authori- 
ties as  Major  of  City  Volunteers,  until  I  can  rest  and 
become  fit  for  some  duty  in  the  work  of  relief. 

"After  twenty-four  hours'  rest,  I  beg  to  tender  my 
services  in  any  capacity  whatever,  to  do  any  kind  of  duty 
that  may  be  of  use. 

"I  am,  sir,  respectfully, 

"L.  K.  D.  FAYLING, 
"Major  of  City  Forces." 

By  military  precedence  the  word  "Approved"  is  all  that 
the  commanding  officer  writes  on  such  an  application. 
General  Scurry  disregarded  precedent  and  indorsed  as 
follows : 

"Your  services  have  been  most  worthy.  I  cheerfully  re- 
lieve you  from  duty.  THOS.  SCUKKY, 

"Adjutant-General." 

That  night  the  city  was  left  without  guards,  and  there 
were  complaints  of  disorder  and  looting. 

Major  Fayling's  next  duty  was  to  escort  a  committee 
of  prominent  Galveston  citizens  who  were  sent  for  by  the 
Governor  to  come  to  Houston  to  bring  back  a  large  sum  of 


MAJOR  FAYL1N&8  WORK. 


The  Mayor  of  Galveaton,  in  behalf  of  the  citizens  of  Qalveston 
and  in  his  own  behalf.,  desirea  to  say  that  the  work 'Major  L.  H.   D.  Payling 
did  for  the  City  of 'Galveston,  was  most  magnificent  and  cannot  be  express- 
ed to  word*.     Bo  built  the  foundation  upon  *hich  the  later  good  work 
has. been  done.     The  initiative,  courage  and  discipline,  displayed  by 
Hajor  yayllng  deserve  the  highest  praise.     He  has  the  official  and 
personal  thank*  of  the  mayor  aad  citizens. 


Mayor  of  &alvest««.  r 


Major 

X  consider  your  work  was  the  saving  of  the  oit?y.     I 
you  ptfrftonollY  for  your  senriees  and  loyalty 


Mayor. 


MAJOK  FAYLIN&S  WORK. 

money  for  relief  work.  He  was  about  to  return  to  Gal- 
veston  when  he  received  a  telegram  instructing  him  to 
meet  Miss  Clara  Barton  and  her  party  of  eleven,  and  give 
them  such  assistance  as  he  could  in  getting  them  into  Gal- 
veston.  He  also  received  the  following  letter  from  the 
Mayor  of  Houston: 

"Houston,  Tex.,  Sept.  15,  1900. 
"Major  L.  E.  D.  Fayling, 

"Galveston,  Texas. 

"Sir : — We  will  urgently  ask  you  to  represent  us  in  ar- 
ranging the  details  of  receiving  Miss  Clara  Barton  and 
her  party,  providing  them  with  information  as  to  the 
situation  in  Galveston.  We  judge  your  information  to  be 
superior  to  ours,  as  you  and  your  men  have  been  patrolling 
every  part  of  the  wrecked  city.  Confident  that  you  will 
grant  us  this  favor,  we  are, 

"Very  truly  yours, 

"S.  H.  BKASHEAE, 

Mayor. 
"By  A.  K.  KOSENTHAL, 

Secretary." 

The  Major  borrowed  a  corporal's  guard,  induced  the 
proprietor  of  the  Hutchin's  House  to  throw  a  few  "drum- 
mers" out  of  their  rooms  and  reserve  the  best  part  of  the 
house  for  Miss  Barton.  When  her  train  got  in,  the  guards 
were  ready,  the  soldiers  at  "present  arms" — everything  in 
martial  style — in  fact,  that  reception  was  the  only  thing 
in  all  the  incidents  of  the  storm  that  'had  any  spice  of  the 
theatrical. 

When  martial  law  was  declared  off,  Mayor  Jones  in 
the  presence  of  a  few  prominent  citizens  at  the  Hotel 


MAJOR  PAYL1N&S 


36? 


368  MAJOR  FAYLING'S   WORK. 

Tremont   presented  Major  Fayling  with   the   following 
declaration  of  thanks: 

"Major's  Office, 
"Walter  C.  Jones,  Mayor. 
"Galveston,  Tex.,  Sept.  22,  1900. 

"The  Mayor  of  Galveston,  in  behalf  of  the  citizens  of 
Galveston  and  in  his  own  behalf,  desires  to  say  that  the 
work  Major  L.  R.  D.  Fayling  did  for  the  city  of  Galves- 
ton was  most  magnificent  and  cannot  be  expressed  in 
words.  He  built  the  foundation  upon  which  the  later 
good  work  has  been  done.  The  initiative,  courage  and 
discipline  displayed  by  Major  Fayling  deserve  the  highest 
praise.  He  has  the  official  and  personal  thanks  of  the 
Mayor  and  citzens. 

"WALTER  C.  JONES, 
"Mayor  of  Galveston." 

"Major  Fayling: 

"I  consider  your  work  was  the  saving  of  the  city.  I 
thank  you  personally  for  your  services  and  loyalty. 

"WALTER  C.  JOKES, 
"Mayor." 

The  people  of  Galveston  were  not  ungrateful  for  the 
work  Major  Fayling  had  done  to  protect  life  and  prop- 
erty. When  civil  law  superseded  martial  law,  he  was 
tendered  ovations  wherever  he  went.  On  his  way  north 
he  was  tendered  similar  ovations  at  Houston,  and  at  Dal- 
las, Captain  Paget,  of  the  Dallas  Rough  Riders,  received 
him  with  a  military  luncheon  at  the  Oriental  Hotel,  and 
turned  out  the  Rough  Riders  as  guard  of  honor  to  escort 
him  to  the  depot. 


